Hi All,

For those who missed the live broadcast this Wednesday, here is a recording which you can find on YouTube:


And here are all the answers to your questions:

Q> ​Is the current beta capable of producing a complete exported game yet?
A> No, this will come way down the line when most new functionality is in place.

​Q> I’m still having that 8003 () Runtime error. Being a runtime error, do you still think it’s a permission issue?
A> It could be, but just as likely a missing set of files. The next build might solve issues relating to that.

​Q> Will we be able to change folders for custom assets, some people use smaller ssd drives, assets libraries can get pretty large? That is, can we change drives from the default my documents?
A> There are no plans to have more than one location for the assets, but it makes sense to allow you to specify where that location should be. Right now it is the Documents folder (typically located on your C Drive), but allowing you to change this location makes a lot of sense!

​Q> Will you be adding further genres?
A> No, we are sticking with RPG, Puzzle, and Shooter for now.

​Q> What are the chances that we ever get a bullet physics overhaul? Like bullets being actual projectiles instead of rays casting?
A> If those changes are needed to improve the three-game types we are targeting, then it is likely. We are not planning to add 100% support for Bullet features for the sake of completeness, only where it benefits the above game types as an essential.

​Q> Can i create minimum 4 players online multiplayer game?
A> There are no plans to make any changes to the way multiplayer currently works, with the exception of using Photon.

​Q> Can i run gameguru max on my 64bit uhd620 8gb i5-8350U CPU @ 1.70GHz 1.90 GHz surface book 2?
A> Alas no, this would be under the minimum specification set which is currently the GTX 960 or equivilant.

​Q> Will we be able to download our old GG assets directly from the store?
A> Yes we will provide a button so you can download your store assets, though compatibility will still be the responsibility of the artist when it comes to using them in MAX.

​Q> Will we be able to use Gameguru MAx with Reallusion software?
A> There are no plans, and currently no talks with Reallusion for support of their exports, though we do like the look of Character Creator 3, and are curious how many of you would be able to afford the $199 price tag and use it as a companion product to GameGuru MAX?

​Q> Can we walk around in the vr levels with quest 2 using the guardian system?
A> You will only be able to use the Quest 2 using the Oculus Link, so the headset would act like a desktop headset. We have no plans to create GameGuru MAX in Android which is the platform used for the standalone aspects of the Quest 2.

​Q> When will the next Alpha drop?
A> We are planning something for next week, so keep your eyes peeled!

​Q> Will we be able to change the player's character model?
A> As GameGuru MAX is a First-Person Game Maker there will be no player character model to change, except for the arms which will be customizable via asset selection. In the case of RPG, the character you choose will be shown traditionally as a 2D image so there is no problem there.

​Q> How well will it run on AMD machines and GPU?
A> There are some excellent AMD systems out there, and we do not anticipate any problems running on those systems that meet the minimum requirements.

​Q> Will you be able to change your arms?
A> Yes, you will be able to choose the arms, though it is unlikely you will have full control as the only way for that would be to model the arms, rig and animate them yourself.

​Q> Have GameGuru max the possibility to make Games like Beat Saber?
A> A great question, and one I had to think through, but yes, you could spawn objects in the distance that come towards the player, the player has a VR controller attached melee weapon, which destroys the objects, and you can then create a scoring system around it to know when you have won. I dare say you could go WAY beyond Beat Saber with the settings of such a game

"Q> Will we be able to change the player's character model?
A> As GameGuru MAX is a First-Person Game Maker there will be no player character model to change, except for the arms which will be customizable via asset selection. In the case of RPG, the character you choose will be shown traditionally as a 2D image so there is no problem there."

Yet for multiplayer?

The genre buttons sound like a great way for beginners and non-coders to easily create logic in their levels, so I'm all for that. Slightly confused about how it's going to work, and what logic will pertain to what genre. For example, surely a switch to open a door in an FPS game functions the same to one in the RPG game? And does specifying a genre wall off any functionality? That might create issues if people want to make cross-genre games...and pretty much every game these days is cross-genre. Most FPS games have a inventory or class system, but RPGs have some puzzle elements.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll understand it better when I see it.

Also Lee, if you've got a spare 10 minutes, check out the discussion going on around updates to FPS mechanics in Game Guru. I know you guys have been making FPS game engines for fifteen years but there's still a lot of scope for improving what Game Guru currently offers in that department.
https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/222379

AE

Yes but that sounds like just pre setups for RPG , Puzzle and Shooters, Easy starts, like templates.
From Blank i guess you do what you like.

Noticed this;
Games like Beat Saber?
"you could spawn objects in the distance that come towards the player"
YOU said it LEE! Hope you hadn't miss-spoke. Oh well, the real question
is whether @""= spawn any new object from file via lua scripting.

Add to the list.

If you've not watched the video, Lee covers this pretty well in it. He states the the buttons simply reveal the logic visually so you can edit them and that you can easily mix them. So, you can have elements from RPG, mixed with elements from Puzzle, mixed with elements from Shooter and combine them as you please ... or not at all.

Lee touched on the differences, too. Puzzle could, for example, provide the logic for a player to move pieces into a specific order, or to select a combination to open a lock, etc. RPG could have things like quest elements, etc. And Shooter would have the doors and switches, health and ammo, etc. Again, it's planned to allow you to mix and use these together as you please. So, the trigger and switch stuff from Shooter can be used with RPG and Puzzle, and the puzzle stuff can be used with Shooter, etc.

Lee is planning to have visual connectors. So, if you create a switch that opens a door, you'd drag in your door, drag in your switch, and then visually connect them. Then, when the switch is used, the door it's connected to will open. Simple. And, according to the broadcast, you can connect multiple things to one or to many, etc.

I'm liking Lee's ideas there @ Argent_Arts
And that makes a valid point. (I'm only trying to be helpful,
while not contradicting... BTW)

Instead of the 3 categories FPS, RPG, and Puzzle, maybe the entirety
of those "effects" could be under one button // maybe 3 tiers?
The button might be something like "Linked Actions" - shrug?

Why do this? As it is right now, it's one click to get to the logic you want to apply/edit. You click on Shooter and you're instantly able to start applying/editing Shooter logic. Simple.

Your way adds an additional click - You click on one button (Linked Actions) and then you have to select a tier. It's not much more, granted. But the three buttons they currently have in the UI express it well and make it simple to access.

Looks fantastic Lee!

OldFlak....

@Lee, any plans to have asset streaming? (Loading textures/models into and out of memory as needed). I believe this is ESSENTIAL for the larger worlds GG Max plans to support, especially RPGs, since they need worlds that are not only large, but packed full of detail and moving parts.

@Argent_Arts
"you're instantly able to start applying/editing Shooter logic. Simple."
Oh... okay. Opening a door is "shooter" logic! Nice.
Yeah, I think Avenging Eagle made a good point... under which button is
which function going to be? Lee says some button currently there are
going to be placed or stacked within other buttons, so why not carry that
idea forward?

I imagined this as one (list) kinda like the entity list... with just headings--
(tiers). So just <1 button> click for all options viewed at once. Then you
wouldn't have to memorize/ guess which trick is under which button... shrug

Those three genres are better than one- sure, but with a penetrating critical eye,
some reviewers might assume GGMAX is good only to make three game types?
Maybe for each project? IDK? We won't know what new reviewers will think with
these three button on top of the menu?
Only thing to do is get the Alpha and test it! Maybe they will like it that way.

This is NOT a big deal to me, but I just watching the video again, and want to
add some feedback (though it is probably useless and dorky feedback anyhow!)

If you want to keep the three genre buttons, you could still show ALL the
actions available with [1] click, so searching isn't a guessing game...?

For the genres; when you click on any genre, the linked actions list for that
genre is shown on top, while ALL the others will follow below. If you click RPG,
those appear first, then Puzzler, Shooter below. Same goes with others.
Click Puzzler then those appear first followed by RPG, Shooter, etc

Seems a tad exorbitant, but at least all options are shown together, and you
can also keep the buttons presently, seeing first those under the click choice.

@ fearlesswee
Exactamundo! Just keep it user customizable, not hard coded like Classic
(distance based activity).

I, too, am a bit confused about "The Three Genre Buttons". Hope Lee can explain in full.

This is a big step forward, and the visual linking idea is just genius, great work Lee.

This visual in-game logic editor was surprised me. It is sounds something like the Logic Chains in the Doom snapmap editor, that I did request couple years ago. In case the inspiration for this idea did not originate from my request, I would like to recommend to take a look at it now as it is including a nice YouTube video about the editor. Since TGC is building something very similar, could be useful to gain some ideas how to go about it and what sort of logics to include and how to organise them..etc:
https://forum.game-guru.com/thread/220383

So is this visual logic (chain) editor is planned to be included in the final release in 1.0? Is there any estimate when the first version of this editor is coming in beta form?

Thanks.

This is a great idea. I hope Lee sees this.

Unity's 3D Game Kit also functions this way (and I had suggested Lee take a look at how it functions back when MAX was first announced). You make visible connections to make things like triggers, pressure plates, and more work.



It also has a really nice feature where you can visibly see the how far an enemy can see and what their viewing angle is (180 degrees, etc.). And you can adjust any of this visually in the editor to customize your enemies and monsters (how far out they can see you, how far around their head they can detect you, etc.).

So probably this is where the inspiration coming from I guess.
I did find a short video about it.

I don't have first hand experience with Unity Game Kit, but personally I like the way it is implemented in the Doom SnapMap better.

What this tells me is TGC need to get Max done ASAP before someone else does it

Naw. Unity's 3D Game Kit has been out for several years now ...

Uhm, wondering what was the point of mentioning the visual logic editor if no further info about it is shared.
Got me really interested. Would like to know what direction is it going.

Is it going to be more like Unity where we select the entities and tweak their properties, maybe add logic components in the properties panel and only see what is connected to what but need to open properties to see what sort of connection it is what the logic does exactly?

Or is it going to be more similar to Doom where we place logic objects directly in the level that is representing the type of the logic and connect those logic objects to entities and be able to see not only that what is connected to what but also what sort of connection is it directly in the level editor without need to open property panels?

Or something completely different TGC did come up with their very own way of implementing this? If so, any hints how it might look like? Maybe we are going to be able to switch between RPG, puzzle and shooter game making modes that literally change how the UI works, the options and properties we have available in the editor? This is why there is 3 separate buttons for each mode because it is changes the UI and menu and how the editor works completely?

Also wondering if this system is going to be powered by Lua as I was suggesting couple years ago so people can develop and share their own logic objects or components whichever it may be or is it going to be hard coded in C++?

In case it is not decided yet and TGC is open to suggestions how to implement it, I vote for something more similar to Doom way of doing it and to be powered by Lua if possible.

@Zigi My vote here is that everything's is lua controlled so you can make your own changes if needed, keep it open, "visual logic editor" is actually pretty great/fun/easy to use hope it will be in the next beta so you can try it

This is absolutely the most important aspect of this feature. This feature only makes sense in my mind if it's fully integrated with the Lua scripting.

I also would hope that the backbones are Lua so that it can be edited and modified.

@Avenging Eagle : Sorry I could not reveal more, a high-level decision has been made to only show completed sections, and as excited as I am to show warts-and-all progress, I yield to the experience of my betters in the knowledge that it injects a little more professionalism into what TGC does. I can say I showed it to all my internal coders and they like it, and think it is a great way to craft logic using visuals only P.S. No walling off of functionality in MAX, you can mix and match to your hearts content!

@GubbyBlips : One of our design ideas is the concept of a 'nest' or 'spawner' which has the logic to creating new objects in the level from thin air. You can imagine you will get this in script commands too so hopefully you see a glimpse of the possibilities! The reason we are splitting out RPG, Puzzle and Shooter is to keep the UI as clean as possible based on the context of what the user is doing at the time. Too many tools fall into the trap of trying to put 'everything' in front of the user for the sake of convenience, what they end up with is complete confusion for the new user.

@OldFlak : Thanks, as you may suspect, we are attempting to re-write all our wrongs into less-wrongs (and hopefully rights). I am looking forward to revealing lots more in 2021, not just software features but a little more professionalism in how we present builds to the community.

@fearlesswee : We already have streaming of both geometry and textures for the terrain system, we just need to do more performance tuning for larger terrains and ensure the storage requirements are not insane. This should allow good detail on the terrain, while allowing for very large single level play areas. If you mean streaming in of objects polygons and textures, that is not planned. I think we may hit this requirement when we start creating truly massive levels, but we are some way from that and I believe we will get lots of mileage out of hardware instancing to avoid the need to store lots of unique resource at once.

@MadLad Designs : The basic idea is that we split up the massive list of every kind of game logic you want into three basic sub-types so you can quickly find what you need, and not have to navigate through chunks of logic you don't need (at that specific time). You can still mix and match, but if you are only working on your character dialog for a week or two, you can stay in RPG Type and remain there, uncluttered by the buttons needed to create other aspects of your game, until that is, you need it, and then it is just a button away. Probably makes more sense when I present the finished article.

@Tarkus1971 : I think when you see the visual connection idea for logic creation, you will agree it is a good first step. I also believe there are more innovations on the horizon to go further in defining logic visually, perhaps to the point that scripting is not necessary for almost all logic found in modern games. It is ambitious, but somehow I do not see advanced alien species coding in C++, I see them moving four dimentional constructs around in their digital heads, and perhaps to us, it would resemble a really cool 'entirely perceptual' method for creating chains of logic, elegantly avoiding the spaggetti mess most visual editing tools find themselves in when creating relatively simple algorythms, and ultimately acting as a decent replacement for the need to type code line by line

@Zigi : No release dates known at this time. The idea of the open release date is to allow us to focus on product quality and completeness, rather than an arbitary release date. We will of course continue to provide builds so you can test out the progress. P.S. Thanks for the DOOM LInks video. I watched it through and I think you will agree it get pretty 'geek deep' when it came to adding a timer, almost code-like. Our aim would be to pre-empty these common mechanisms, so although you could do this kind of logic, for the most part there is something you can drag in and connect to get what you need and move on (and not take 18 minutes)

@Argent_Arts : Thanks for the link We will have visual indicators for character ranges so you don't need to go through the set, test, set, test cycle to find out what your characters react, you would see this visually as you edit.

@Teabone : Yes the backbone of all the mechanics you manage visually would actually be LUA scripts, and you can add your own scripts (and by extension your own visual logic blocks) as you see fit and require. The goal is to give all those lovely non-scipters a lot more access to game logic mechanics, and present them in a way that presents as few obstacles to understanding as possible. Ideally just drag in, connect to something else, change the default action if you don't like it, and your are done. For those who can script, adding your own blocks that can then be managed within the editor should speed up game logic development as you start to re-use your growing collection of modules, until that rare moment you don't need to create any more new scripts

I agree it could look confusing to a complete beginner but it does actually makes total sense that you want to reset the flag after certain amount of time if the other switch is not pressed within the time frame.
Anyhow, I am not recommending to copy all logic objects 1:1 from Doom but the workflow as you navigate in the editor, the way you add the objects, connect them..etc


By all means you can implement an object that does all the switch-door-timer magic with a single connection for beginners and also a timer in case more advanced users need one.
Making things more simple is always great, but please don't forget about the users who sit between to complete beginner and a coder, the ones who know how to code but do not enjoy it yet have no problem solving the puzzle not even when things get really complex. What I like about the Doom SnapMap is that it is allow you to implement and see through complex solutions without any abstract thinking required, the way how everything is connected is right there in the level editor but it doesn't have to be that complex. Objects that solve more than 1 problem in one go is always welcome, but for more power we need also the 1 solution blocks like the timer.


I was asking about when the first beta/alpha version of the logic editor will be implemented, but in case the "open release date" also apply to this it fine.

Thanks.

That's awesome. Looking forward to it.

Having said that, having a visual indicator for range is only half of what's needed. How about allowing for a field of vision, too? This way, you can restrict beings from being able to see you from behind (i.e. set their field of vision to 180 degrees or less). You could also allow a being to be able to detect you from behind (360 degrees - like how a bird can see in all directions due to eye placement). In the 3D Game Kit I linked to, they have a visual indicator for this, too, and you can change the field of view by simply dragging it to the degree you want.