Hi All,

Thanks to everyone who attended the latest live broadcast covering development progress on GameGuru MAX.



Below you will find answers to all the questions you posted during the live event:

Q> Will there be a 3d built-in character editor?
A> Yes, we call it the Character Creator and you can find it in the top toolbar. You will be able to create men, women, and a zombie, and the system is expandable so more body parts can be added down the line.

Q> Is Photon still coming?
A> Yes the new multiplayer system is based on Photon and will be functionally similar to the current Steam multiplayer experience.

Q> ​Will there be any chance of adding a hide crosshair option in Max and GG via Lua?
A> There are no plans to add new LUA commands for release, but I think this is something that can be done relatively quickly once we get to the 'nice to have' list.

Q.> It should explode if you hit the barrel.
A> Yes there is a strength value for the barrel, currently set to indestructible. When strength is specified, the barrel will explode after a certain amount of damage.

Q> ​In the alpha 5 can we test those realistic lights you were showing in the youtube video?
A> Everything in the Alpha 5 Sneak Peek Video can be done in the actual alpha build available now to add pre-order users.

Q> How the sun is going to be in game-guru max compared to gg?
A> We are adding a new editor settings and in-game controls so you can adjust the attributes of the sun, or switch it off completely.

Q> The characters currently look very out of place, will they be getting a more realistic overhaul?
A> All entities rendered in the game use the same lighting model and attributes system, so it is just a case of adding better lighting design into the scene. The one I created took around 5-10 minutes and I dumped an outside light very quickly with no thought to aesthetics.

Q> Can gg max have screen loading between levels in real 3d, animated instead of a 2d picture?
A> There are no plans to have real 3D or animated sequences between level loading. You would need to do that in script, and probably at the end of the level before starting the load for the next one.

Q> What control will we have over light probes and/or reflection probes?
A> The current thought is to add the environment probe option to the light settings and have them on by default so by placing lights you also place probes that will help with lighting and reflection cues. Of course, you could add the light, then disable the lighting so you can place just a probe at key locations.

Q> Will we still have the issue where modifying environment lighting by Lua, effects the actual lightning settings of the map?
A> The lighting should restore to your editor/level settings after a test game and changes imposed by the scripts. If this is not the case on release, you can consider it a bug which we would fix both for Classic and for MAX.

Q> For the VR testing how will that actually work? Steam VR? What headset will we need? Can you do a video on how to use a headset?
A> We will be using OpenXR for our VR support, so right now that means you can use Windows Mixed Reality and Oculus Rift/Quest. Steam is working on their own OpenXR runtime but it's far from finished at the moment and no expected date for when it will start working with the HTC Vive and other VR headset Steam support.

Q> Will players be able to pick up any meshes with collision detection (not necessarily weapons -more of a simulation experience)?
A> Yes there is a script called PickupSimple which when applied to an entity allows the player to pick up that entity and carry it about, throw it or drop it somewhere else.

Q> Is it possible to make grenades something that enemies throw while not having to give the grenades as a weapon, such as an uzi?
A> There are no plans to give enemies grenades or allow grenades to be spawned via script. It is a good idea, however!

Q> Will there be a way for a light to follow a waypoint?
A> Yes you can create a script which moves a light along a path, such as one created by the waypoint node system.

Q> What are the system requirements for gg max?
A> You will need a decent PC with at least a GTX 960 (at the moment) though final specs are not finalized.

Q> What date in sept for the whole release?
A> Sometime in September Announcement coming on Thursday so watch this space!

Q> Will we have multiple cameras in max at any point?
A> There are no plans to add multiple cameras to MAX at this time, though it has been suggested we need to add it to Classic to fulfill one of the early promises back in 2015.

Q> So the sun is not going to illuminate anymore the interiors of buildings?
A> No, the walls and ceiling would block the influence of any sunlight, but an open door or window will let it in.

Q> When can we adjust Bloom currently it's way to high?
A> This is being worked on right now, so expect to be able to control many visual elements similar to the TAB TAB system soon.

Q> ​​Why are you not using DirectX12?
A> We are using the Wicked Engine which supports both DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, though we are releasing as a DirectX 11 build to increase the compatibility to cover more graphics cards. Down the road, we may activate the DirectX 12 version of the build for those who really want it.

Q> ​Can we see Max's settings for all the basics like fog cam distance, lighting etc being saved per level?
A> This is being worked on right now so should not be too long before you can see the new panels.

Q> Can we have the "Tab" clip mode back so we can remove the roof and work on interiors?
A> Yes I will be looking for a way to bring that back, depending entirely on whether Wicked Engine makes it easy for me.

Q. So it's not going to use a lightmapping system to recalculate?
A> No, there is no lightmapping GameGuru MAX, all lighting is done in real-time and dynamically.

Q> Will there be a limit to the size of game we can make?
A> Yes there will always be limits across multiple categories, but you should be able to make larger games than those possible in Classic.

Q> How can you expect 50 dollars or more for directx11 engine?
A> At the end of the day, GameGuru MAX will not appeal to everyone, just those who value the features included. There are many tools out there, many of them free to use and all fulfill different needs. If a DirectX 11 engine is a deal-breaker, no worries at all. We may switch on DirectX 12 down the road if the community thinks it's a good idea, but there is no immediate need.

Copy and Paste grouped entities is never brought up by anyone on the
broadcasts, and I wasn't able to be there again. Is this a taboo subject
that will land the question in jail?

Why DirectX 12?! What's the big draw about that? Why wouldn't a level
creator really want to see a level creator engine with Copy and Paste?!

Perhaps down the road (as Lee mentioned), DX12 would be a thing to
consider, but Copy and Paste should be a stock feature, not secondary
for any game level construction engine.
https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/directx12-and-fortnite/

The difference between DX11 and DX12 visually isn't all that much, however the libraries have changed a bit so it would mean quite a bit needs to be studied, tested and changed with some margin for trial and error, which would mean a longer development time and delay, additionally there isn't wide support or decent documentation worth mentioning yet.DX12 might have been around for a while, but there is still only a handful of games that is making use of it.

Lee is well versed in DX11 which would mean a far more stable product in a much shorter time frame, versus a longer development time and perhaps a less stable version initially.

There is nothing wrong with DX11, whether DX11 or DX12, max isn't even using a 3rd of what is available in DX11, visually and performance wise there would be very little gain overall.

DX12 gets often a worse performance than DX11 without any noticible visual differences, DX11 is imo superior atm

As BFV for example which gets abviously 20-30 more FPS in dx12

Matters not to me when release day comes. So far MAX is shaping up nicely - just make it awesome!


Yeah - or any engine for that matter - you should charge more Lee!
I pretty sure there are options out there....

Looking good Lee and Team - looking forward to more goodness!

OldFlak....

1 ... Yet they are Pre-Ordering it
2 ... You would pay more for leadwerks

Cool!
Will you expose those settings via LUA? I'm thinking about getting some sort of night and day system via those LUA commands (if any).


Same here.


Does the shadows will follow the light too?


Great!

Looking really nice so far.

Sooooo ,
Again. .surprise....surprise. ..surprise. ..
a release date has been denied and....set back.
Had been set for September 1st since the initial announcement
and now....TBA some time today.

Next. .........

Unird12b

Can’t see what all the fuss is about ,it’s coming

Dave

It may not have been the wisest thing to set an actual date (as in "to the day"), especially since development on Max had not even begun yet. Even so, delays should almost always be expected with software development. Heck, I've seen delays that were YEARS long. Why would anyone get bent out of shape about a delay causing a release to go from September 1 to some time in September ... a delay of days or weeks, not months or years.

Frankly, considering what Max is becoming, I would be fine with a delay of months, if it means nailing this release.

I think Lee explained it had to be something when setting up the Steam Page and back then it seemed pretty reasonable ( especially before Covid ) but releases slip all the time on steam so its no biggie really.
We get the most up to date version anyway. The only people it will effect are those who have not even ordered it yet and are waiting for the Demo which was going to be after the release anyway.

Except that doesn't explain why the same date of September 1st was also posted on The GameCreators page. They wrote the post and could have just said September, but they also stated it would be officially released September 1st. As a result, if you do a Google search for "game guru max release date", the very first thing Google gives you is a box at the top stating that MAX is to be released September 1st.

damned if you do, damned if you don't but i'm glad Lee has said he will not be releasing on the 1st when he clearly knows it won't be ready by then... let's not make the same mistake GG Classic did with steam - taking longer to get it right and release a working engine and avoid the negative reviews or you won't be making a come back and MAX will end up being another money sink.

$50 is fine for what Lee originally hoped to do, i just hope Max will finally be able to deliver - i.e. "Make a (good) game without any coding knowledge"

On steam its the 1st november now, well thats actually more realistic

When I access Steam, it states September 30th.

Release it when it's ready- obviously! = (Copy+Paste) ughh...

/"Make a (good) game without any coding knowledge"/

Hmmm.... smallg. Hmmm... I better not say much. Good game for me
is not just reflective PBR visuals and lighting and a 2020 zombie chasing you.
These will be great, and certainly worth the upgrade and work and sweat
the team put into them -- no downers there! I was one of them that fully
supported a new upgraded Character Creator over just a DLC pack-
hope that will pay off also- look what they've done- thrown in speech!

But the story is when I first picked up GG jr, and I made a little level, and
asked my 12 year old son to play it-- he said; "So what do you do on this game?"
I said "It's just a level you can look at." (I don't do shooting.)
He said; "That's not a game. You gotta have more than just walking."
Ever since that I delved into scripting in GG lua (learned a little bit) - got
much more to learn!
But everything else you said is spot on! I do know the sentiment you are
suggesting...!

sorry its october 1st, different time zone

Dave

Does it matter ?

No, it doesn't matter, actually. My point was, the "Steam" excuse doesn't hold water since the same date was used on their own pages. Not that I care or that it matters. I'm one of the ones that wants Lee to take his time and get MAX right. It can come out in December or 2021, if that's what's needed.

Posted on github. The issue is complicated as the TAB TAB settings happen during Test Mode at the same time as Lua is running that can alter the lighting (and other tab tab settings). So there is a conflict and whatever settings the Lua has modified gets saved directly into the map when you exit.

So for example if you modify anything in Lua for an effect like lightning or underwater fog and color changes, if you exit Test Mode, the map will stay with the modified lighting , essentially ruining whatever settings you have made to your level via TAB TAB.

I personally think maybe we should some how integrate TAB TAB into the editor itself for Max and not during Test Mode. Not sure if that would be possible but I'm just trying to think of how you guys might want to find an solution to this problem. Sorry I didn't bring it up years ago, I tried on the forums instead of Github.

On an unrelated note, I completely agree with Smallg's statement in response to the debate around release date. I have no expectations for when this will occur on a calendar. I have more confidence in something not rushed.

Probable the Covid pandemic has something to do with it.... everything slowed up or stopped during and still even now here in the UK.

It doesn't matter when in September, Lee is doing his best and the progress so far is amazing. It will arrive when Lee is happy to release.

covid wont really effect a p.c. operation in a house nor its programmer unless they had c19. i do think they got behind somewhere. i know they often slack and have 5 weeks off here and there and sometimes half a year, nothing suprises me with deadlines and TGC but as it goes you want success you need to be on the winning team, and that means getting it right at the start. so i think dont release till it is ready

I don't know in the UK, but here in Catalonia with 32/36 deg, I'm unable to code anything unless you have a good air conditioning system at home, and a fridge full of cold beer, and you don't have the beach so close to home. LOL

@science boy
Bold statement if you never had elderly parents to be concerned for or other family members that got sick.
Unless you can tell me as a fact that non of the team were effected by covid in any way ( it only takes one key member ) then that's a little bit of a harsh statement. Running round keeping my parents safe and secure with food and essentials kept me off my PC despite the fact i was also on lockdown so please do not make it sound like Covid had no effect.

Yeah, I agree with that, synchromesh. We have a 77 year old (and frail) lady living with us and my fiance works from home due to COVID (I've always worked from home). She happens to have a better income than I do, too. So, as a result, I do all the shopping and most of the things that could expose someone to potentially contracting COVID-19. I do this to minimize the risk to her mom and to my fiance. As a result of taking on these tasks (which were normally shared), I am doing more outside the home than usual and, as a result, have less time to work on average. COVID does more than just cause people to self-isolate. It can, in some cases, be a time-suck, too.

The release date issue was likely typed up by another member of the team, probably Rick; and Lee just forgot and has probably had the end of September in his mind for ages. This happens as you get older more often ;p I doubt the pandemic has had much to do with it either way. It may even have helped as no going to the pub for a game of Pool to distract him ;p

Wasnt blown away by the live broadcast 10, no pun intended. But have just got back from hols.

Ha, nice to see that some of the sounds I did way back for FPSC-R are still in use.
Trivia: The UZI sounds were actually recorded from my Ingram Mac 10.
Couldn`t do that anymore, Australian weapons laws forced me to leave all my good stuff behind.

"I think Lee explained it had to be something when setting up the Steam Page"
You don't have to set a date for your release on Steam... u can also use.... 2020, 2021.... Winter 2020... something like this.

But if u set a date and come close to that date u get more and more visibility.... u can still change it 1 day before....
Some game devs use that over and over... 2-3 times changing the date, just to get more visibility (wishlist clicks) . Sometimes its annoying to see the same games every 4 weeks on the "release soon" list (on top).

But I dont think that they do this here...
Now its Oct. 1st... also a nice date.