*Note* - If you lost your progress since updating the main branch yesterday or the day before please check this post out on how to restore: http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/1/1368380934247078517/

• Bug allowing buildings to be built for free was found and fixed
  
• Deleted tree floating slightly off the ground

• Bow collisions improved so it doesn't roll everywhere
  
• More resources added to the map
  
• Iron ore nodes scaled up to make them easier to spot
  
• Persistence system can spawn to specific level streams now
  
• LoadingService binds to World instead of WorldComposition delegates allowing for better persistence across multiple levels with multiple spawners
  
• Big Cave chamber lighting improved
  
• Better debug logging in a lot of areas
  
• Adjusted streaming distance of levels so they will pop in a lot sooner and not wait until you are right on top of them

• 16:9 Video output option added to menu
  
• Forest Critters and general ambient sounds added to above ground world
  
• Spawn resource command partially added, rest will be in by monday at the latest

PS - Building costs have been brought back up to their appropriate values

After 6 months of Alpha and Beta updates we have Yore in a good enough spot that we have updated the main branch. For the full run down of updates feel free to check out the links at the bottom of this post but here's the Update Highlights:

• First we we finished the recode of all major systems, that wrapped in about Feb and opened the door for the new save system and multiplayer.
  
• The engine powering our game was way too out of date as we were using a custom branch that had stopped being updated in November. So that meant that we had to not only upgrade the engine from Unreal 4.12 to Unreal 4.15 but also switch from the custom Multi-res branch over to the vanilla and strip out a bunch of features. That was fun
  
• In upgrading to 4.15 we switched over to the new Forward Renderer in Unreal 4.14 / 4.15 which caused our main map to crap the bed, meaning we had to switch over to our brand new map sooner than anticipated. This map is 9 times larger above ground and 3-4 times larger underground.
  
• Our pre-placed building system didn't work with the new map as it is based on multiple streaming levels, so instead of spending time fixing that we decided to move forward with our custom placed system ahead of schedule.
  
• We are using the new Forward Renderer in Unreal which is a boost of 20-30% FPS on it's own
  
• Multiple optimization efforts resulted in 75-150% increase in performance over old main branch build
  
• We have a brand new save system, which is essentially our multiplayer save system but running locally with SQLite.
  
• Meaning we are very close to multiplayer
  
• Every structure in the game(including the cart) can now be hand placed

• A new map that is roughly 12-13 times larger than the old one, meaning a lot of room for new adventures and other players.
  
• We have a new massive dungeon system with some friends down there to greet you
• There are 5 new caves to Explore
  
• Ocean added
  
• Hydras, Giant Scorpions, Bears and Foxes added
• Huge Central Mountain
• Small mountain ranges

• Skelly and the intro tutorial didn't make it through the new recode but he might come back later
  
• Cart from hell removed, way too much work to get it working properly so we just allow you to hold a LOT more in the basket now

• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/133256959377864700/
  
• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/133256959384505717/
  
• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1290690669225333013/
  
• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1290691308577266095/
  
• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1290691308585948081/
  
• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1290691937727181096/
  
• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1353742967817405039/
  
• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1353742967802771875/
  
• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1353742967824844478/
  
• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/2119355556479116869/
  
• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/2119355556499088266/

• Join the conversation on our forums: http://forums.playyore.com
  
• Hang out with us on Discord, talk to the devs in real time: https://discord.gg/Jgh2kUn

2 days late on this update but needed to include a few key fixes in here before I pushed it out. A lot of work went into polishing and getting the creatures spawning and working properly this week. On top of that we tracked down the most common crash bug and hopefully put an end to that. You can find more details about the updates here:

• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/2119355556479116869/
  
• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/2119355556499088266/

• Oculus Rift users can once again access the menu by depressing the analog stick
  
• Most common crash bug fixed
  
• Sword assembly is working again so get those blades and delve into the dark deep places with a little less fear
  
• Speaking of the sword there was a nasty bug where if it was assembled and in your belt it would cause you move around against your will as it collided into stuff. That is fixed
  
• Big fixes and improvement to Creatures and the creature spawners. They persist properly, the world will come pre-populated and they will be right where you left them when you leave that part of the world and come back.
  
• Cooking meat is a thing again, just stick your steak on the camp fire itself and it will cook
  
• A good amount of persistence was added to a bunch of stuff in the world

• http://forums.playyore.com/index.php?threads/current-fixes-that-need-to-be-confirmed.385/#post-1396 - People have really stepped up to help with the QA process, take a look at all of the fixes that Explozion confirmed for us this week
  
• A lot of back and forth about day to day gameplay with some great feedback from DersonThePerson on Discord: https://discord.gg/Yu9vM7p

Anyways another great week with some big gains to the game in general. It's really exciting to see the community getting more and more active every week and if ever was the time to join the conversation it would definitely be now!

So the day is fast approaching when we can finally push all of our hard work out to the main branch. With the exception of the cart, which we removed entirely for now, 100% of the game systems have been recoded from scratch and are in the game, better than ever. We were 'feature complete' about 10 days ago and have been doing QA ever since. The last week has resulted in 2 engine bugs being found(and reported to Epic) as well as a myriad of other edge-case bugs that only reared their head once we packaged a build and sent it off to steam(ie: they weren't showing in our internal tests) but we are now through all of those and barring any other unknown issues we should have a rock solid game on our hands with no obvious up front issues. On top of all of this we have made massive performance gains over the last 2 weeks, with a 40-50% increase in FPS as well as a much nicer looking world.

Now that being said I am going to assume there are still a bunch of interesting bugs hiding in the game for players to find and so the time has come to push this update to Beta to get as many players in there as possible so we can uncover there. As a reminder if you do find a bug it would be super helpful to post a bug report here": http://forums.playyore.com/index.php?forums/bug-reports.20/

In case you are curious as to what is in this update since the last one:

• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/133256959384505717/
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1290690669225333013/
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1290691308577266095/
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1290691308585948081/
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1290691937727181096/
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/133256959377864700/
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1353742967802771875/
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1353742967817405039/
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1353742967824844478/
  

• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1353742967802771875/
  
• http://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1353742967817405039/

• Scorpions(baby and giant), Foxes, Bears and Hydra's added to the map as enemies which can kill and be killed
  
• Building construction system complete and in the game
  
• Building cost tool tip comes up in building menu when you cover over a button
  
• 3 Crashes fixed: Missing anims, engine error, building menu crash
  
• Streaming level, nav mesh and post processing optimizations for moar FPS!
  
• New ocean water shader

Most of the week was spent discussing the new sounds we need for our new friends in the world. We held a key give away on the forums and reddit and received some amazing recommendations for sounds so that our new baddies won't be silent for much longer :)

- http://forums.playyore.com/index.php?threads/i-need-some-help-finding-sounds-for-some-of-our-new-friends.377/

As always everyone is more than welcome to join us on discord, there's always a great conversation happening there about this that or the other: https://discord.gg/Jgh2kUn

Hey Hey everyone I have been posting regular updates to the 'Changelogs and Updates' forums: https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/ but F-Man made a good point in a comment on our last update thread that with none-of those updates showing up on the front page it doesn't look like we're making all that much progress when in reality we are progressing faster now than ever before in the history of the project. So from now on I will try to post regular updates to the front page about what's going on in the alpha and beta branches, interesting new features and creatures making their way in the game and highlight some of the more active threads on the forums if any of you are interested in partaking in the lively discussions over there.

Expand / Scroll down for the following:

1) Alpha Updates
2) Eye Candy to drool over
3) Links to Forum conversations to check out


So let's start with the past month or two of alpha updates:



All of these updates can be found and experienced today in the Alpha Branch of the game. If you don't know how to access the alpha branch don't worry, it's super easy

Just right click on Yore VR in your Steam Library, then click properties, then go into the betas tab and select the alpha branch from the dropdown list:

For convenience sake I've linked to the various alpha update threads I have been posting:

• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/133256959377864700/
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/133256959384505717/
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1290690669225333013
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1290691308577266095
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1290691308585948081
  
• https://steamcommunity.com/app/524380/discussions/2/1290691937727181096

Click the links below to check out the conversations and share your thoughts

• Help choose the sounds of Yore - Win a free steam key [forums.playyore.com]
  
  
• Is this game Dead?[forums.playyore.com] (Spoiler Alert! NO!)
  
  
• Map Expansion Plans [forums.playyore.com] (Nearly everything laid out here is now in the Alpha Branch)
  
  
• POLL: How Realistic should Yore Be?[forums.playyore.com]
  
  
• POLL: What's next: Multiplayer or Proper Combat and Enemies? [forums.playyore.com]
  
  
  Discord
  Speaking of Conversations, you are cordially invited to join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/kE5aYD . There's usually a handful of us chit chatting away and discord is always the first place where I share updates and goodies.

Apologies for the silent running..We've been under the gun over the last 3 months. Let me sum up what's been happeningL

• First we we finished the recode of all major systems, that wrapped in about Feb and opened the door for the new save system and multiplayer.
  
• The engine powering our game was way too out of date as we were using a custom branch that had stopped being updated in November. So that meant that we had to not only upgrade the engine from Unreal 4.12 to Unreal 4.15 but also switch from the custom Multi-res branch over to the vanilla and strip out a bunch of features. That was fun
  
• In upgrading to 4.15 we switched over to the new Forward Renderer in Unreal 4.14 / 4.15 which caused our main map to crap the bed, meaning we had to switch over to our brand new map sooner than anticipated. This map is 9 times larger above ground and 3-4 times larger underground.
  
• Our pre-placed building system didn't work with the new map as it is based on multiple streaming levels, so instead of spending time fixing that we decided to move forward with our custom placed system ahead of schedule.
  
  It was one thing after another here but the end result is as such:
  
  
• A new map that is roughly 12-13 times larger than the old one, meaning a lot of room for new adventures and other players
  
• We are using the new Forward Renderer in Unreal which is a boost of 20-30% FPS
  
• We have a new massive dungeon system
  
• We have a brand new save system, which is essentially our multiplayer save system but running locally with SQLite.
  
• Meaning we are very close to multiplayer
  
• Every structure in the game(including the cart) can now be hand placed

Recode Complete, ready for testing

Remember you need to be subscribed to the Alpha branch to get Alpha updates.

So no sense writing a formal update log when all I need to say is that the entire game has essentially been re-coded from scratch. The way we did things before was quick and dirty, meant to prototype and iterate as quickly as possible to flesh out some of the core systems. You get to a point though where all of these systems, cobbled together like a shanty-town, start to buckle under the weight of the game and then it's time to take a holistic view, based on all of the gameplay lessons learned, and build it properly from the ground up with the bigger picture in mind. This is where we were back in December when we took on the task of re-writing every major system in the game to take into account all of the needs that we discovered along the way, be 100x more efficient and be ready for multiplayer(which we started working on at the beginning of the year).

Today is a big day as nearly all of the recoding(Crossbows should be done on monday) is finished and now it's just a matter of finding all of the bugs that exist in this system, fixing them and then going live with this update. The end result will be a much much more polished experienced with no cart issues, better working tongs, a bug free forging experience, etc etc. There are still a lot of improvements we are going to be making to all of the various systems to make things easier to use or more intuitive, however now we have a much more solid base to build on and can focus primarily on those improvements instead of having to spend 70% of our time fixing the bugs that cropped up as our old system creaked and groaned under the weight of the game.

So I just wanted to send out a big thank you for all of your patience. I know a lot of complaints and unfortunately negative reviews have been coming in regarding many of the issues that this recode fixed and rightly so. It was a very frustrating month and a half, not only for you the players dealing with this stuff, but also for me as so many of the issues mentioned were fixed weeks ago but because of the nature of this re-write we couldn't implement it bit by bit, it had to be all or nothing, meaning I had to wait until all of the systems were complete before rolling this update out and as modest as Yore is right now, that still meant a ton of systems. Either way, this alpha release is the first step and as soon as those dedicated testers among you find and report all of the small outstanding bugs(http://forums.playyore.com/index.php?threads/how-to-report-bugs.107/) and we go through and fix them up we'll push this to beta and then eventually up to the main branch for all to enjoy. ​

A relatively small update with a few fixes here and there. 90% of our time has been spent recoding everything from the ground up and preparing for multiplayer. Very happy to have Oculus Touch support in and look forward to hearing people's feedback as we have a ways to go before that is perfect.

• Fixed pub volumes
  
• Fixed menu navigation for Touch users
  
• Minor Map fixes
  
• Additions and polish to the caves
  
• Fixed cart recall/spawner
  
• Raised prices back to normal levels
  
• Increased auto-save interval from 20 to 40 seconds to mitigate stuttering
  
• Snow removed
  
• Hand now snaps to basket handle
  
• Fixed collision issues with smelter coal and iron
  
• Extended hand reach for picking up objects on the floor
  
• Fixed cart handle movement issues
  
• Replaced crappy placeholder torch with a new one

• Added ability to force oculus input mode by pressing Ctrl+O on the keyboard
  
• Fixed input errors with movement and teleport
  
• Fixed menu navigation for Touch users
  
• Fixed Oculus Touch inputs