Papanda 2918 Опубликовано: 15 июня Рассказать Опубликовано: 15 июня Dear friends, To all players of the project, as well as everyone following its development from the outside — those who have supported us and those who have criticized us, fans waiting for updates, curious visitors, and, of course, our loyal veterans. The E-Global team is proud to present the largest update in the history of the LU4 project — the first phase of Alpha testing. This is an important milestone in the game's development and marks the beginning of a new stage for the project. After months of hard work, countless revisions, heated discussions, unexpectedly broken mechanics, and several traditional sacrifices, the project is officially leaving the Pre-Alpha stage and entering Alpha. This does not mean the work is finished. We are now entering a stage where the foundation is in place, the core systems are working, and your feedback and suggestions will directly influence the future of the game. Today, we are excited not only to share the results of our work, but also to invite you to become part of the next chapter in the story of Liberta Ultimata. In the comments under our recent posts, we have noticed concerns that development resources are being used incorrectly — for example, that instead of fixing bugs, we are creating visual effects for abilities. We would like to reassure you that this is not the case. Our team has grown this year, bringing in talented specialists from different fields and allowing us to strengthen development across multiple areas. Each team focuses on its own tasks: some create VFX, others write code, and others develop new abilities. Creating twenty new effects does not slow down interface development, and interface development does not affect engine optimization, because these tasks are handled by different departments. This update includes many changes: new mechanics, reworked systems, bug fixes, and various improvements. As a reminder, LU4 is currently in Alpha. Development takes place on a live game server, which means some features will be added during the testing process. Temporary crashes, unexpected restarts, unusual behavior of certain mechanics, and other technical surprises are not exceptions during this stage — they are part of the development process. Based on our experience, this approach helps us develop the project more quickly and deliver new content to players faster. Thank you to everyone who has been with us on this journey. Your interest, support, constructive feedback, and even your most passionate messages help move the project forward. We are confident that this update will meet your expectations... and give you plenty of new topics to discuss in the weeks ahead. Pre-launch address from@Wreaper Цитата Friends! We have reached a stage in development where almost every part of the client is being reviewed, updated, and improved. During the transition to UE5, around 90% of the client was changed or reworked, including many core systems. In many ways, it feels like we have rebuilt the game from the ground up, including its architecture and development tools. The original version of the client took us nearly nine years to build. This rebuild has taken less than a year. Simply put, we have rebuilt the client. The work is not finished yet, but we are getting closer to turning the current version into a fully featured product. A large amount of functionality has already been moved from Blueprints (UE5's visual scripting system) to native C++ code. Some systems are complete, while others are still being finalized. We have also completely reworked the packaged client and its integration with the project's architecture. Throughout this process, we have tried to preserve a familiar experience while improving the technology behind it. There is still a long road ahead, with many additions, fixes, and improvements planned. We ask for your patience and support. With your help, we will continue moving toward the client you have always wanted to see. Over the next six months, we will continue improving the client and begin work on the following features and systems (some of them already exist, but still require refinement and testing): Optimization: Rendering optimization (improved upscaling technologies and frame generation support) Optimization of nicknames, titles, and other UI elements to reduce performance impact Performance improvements for existing locations through object instancing, object grouping, and HLOD technology Reworking the way player characters are rendered and assembled using a new approach Optimization of private store characters. This system will work differently than before. During internal testing, we achieved a 2-2.5x performance improvement. Combined with frame generation and optimizations for nicknames and trade signs, performance in the Giran marketplace reached up to 50-60 FPS during peak activity Optimization of game packages and package processing for the new client architecture Client-related content: Capes (already optimized; even with 400 characters on screen, performance impact remained around 3-5%) New appearance customization options Ground markers and navigation indicators Character trails (possible future addition) Visual effects New animations and action systems New and updated locations Interface improvements Many additional quality-of-life features that are still too early to reveal And there are many more exciting improvements and surprises that you will discover over the coming months. None of this would have been possible without your attention and support. Thank you for staying with us! The game is moving from Pre-Alpha to its first Alpha test, marking one of the project's most important technological milestones — the transition from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5. This is more than just an engine upgrade. It includes a major overhaul of both the client and server architecture, along with the introduction of new content, new systems, and significant improvements to existing mechanics. During the Pre-Alpha phase, the main goal was to give players access to the game and test it in real-world conditions. Because of this, some solutions were temporary: some issues were fixed with workarounds, while others were implemented as short-term fixes. Moving to UE5, simply transferring everything as it was would have been a mistake. Along with the old code and architecture, we would have brought over existing issues that could affect the client's stability, performance, and future development. That is why a large-scale refactoring process was necessary. In simple terms, we rebuilt many parts of the client behind the scenes. Temporary solutions were removed, core systems were redesigned for the new architecture, and the foundation was strengthened for future updates. Much of this work is not immediately visible to players because it happens "under the hood." However, it directly affects the client's stability, our ability to fix bugs faster, add new features more efficiently, and continue developing the project without constantly risking new problems. The transition to UE5 and the refactoring process were important not because they sound impressive, but because they provide a solid technical foundation for the future of the project. In an online game, all actions happen through the exchange of packets between the client and the server. When a player uses a skill, moves, or interacts with the world, the client and server constantly send and receive information to stay in sync. When moving a project to a new client, one of the most difficult tasks is making sure these packets are fully supported. It is not enough to add new mechanics — the client must also understand the commands sent by the server and process them correctly. This is why some skills and features may be temporarily unavailable. The server already knows how to handle them, but the client still needs to learn how to read and process the matching network messages. This work mostly happens behind the scenes, but it is essential for keeping the gameplay stable and working correctly. We rebuilt the packet exchange system from scratch twice: once during the Pre-Alpha phase, and again during the current transition. Along with improving security, the new system was rewritten from Blueprints into high-level C++, which significantly improved the performance of client-server communication. As support for new packets is added, the client’s functionality will continue to grow. Alpha is an active development stage where new systems are introduced and integrated into the game. During this phase, the game will grow and become more stable at the same time: new locations, skills, monsters, bosses, quests, and UI elements are added, while existing features are refined, tested, and balanced. At this stage, various technical issues may occur: errors, visual glitches, broken or incomplete mechanics, as well as long server restarts and unplanned crashes that may happen several times a day. For the Alpha stage, this is a normal part of development and system integration. We also understand that our project is, first and foremost, a game, and players come to us to relax and enjoy their time. Because of this, we always prioritize player comfort and gameplay experience when making development decisions. We are developing in fast, frequent iterations, so some systems may be introduced gradually, temporarily run in a simplified form, or change as we move to the new UE5 technical foundation. This approach allows us to develop the project faster and fix issues more quickly as they appear. Feedback is a crucial part of this stage. Player feedback always directly influences priorities for improvements, balance changes, and the direction of system development. Every bug report, observation, or detailed description of how a mechanic behaves becomes part of the development process and has a real impact on the final state of the game. We ask that you treat Alpha as a development stage, not a finished product. Constructive and detailed reports are especially important for improving the game's stability and quality during this new technical phase. Unreal Engine 5 The project has been migrated to Unreal Engine 5, unlocking access to modern engine technologies and streamlining the development process. Modern rendering and asset streaming systems ensure high performance even when using high-resolution textures and a large number of particles, while also allowing powerful hardware to fully use its capabilities. Key innovations: Nanite — supports highly detailed models without manual LOD setup. Lumen — dynamic global lighting and real-time reflections. World Partition — an improved system for loading and managing large game worlds. It is not currently integrated into the project and will be added in later development stages. Updated animation and content tools, with improved performance and better support for modern hardware. Niagara support: The visual effects system has been migrated to Niagara, a modern Unreal Engine system for particle and VFX creation. Advantages: more flexible effect settings better performance support for complex effects such as smoke, fire, sparks, magic, and weather advanced support for GPU particles Geodata and navigation One of the most important but almost invisible systems for players was the rework of the geodata system. Geodata defines how movement works in the game world: where characters can go, what surfaces they can walk on, and how bridges, roofs, stairs, slopes, and other world objects interact. It ensures that the map behaves the same way it looks. As part of this update, a custom automatic geodata generation tool was added and greatly improved. In the past, this process required a lot of manual setup. Now, most of it is generated automatically based on the game map itself. This has significantly sped up the creation and updating of locations and improved overall quality. For players, this means more accurate movement in the world, fewer invisible walls, fewer height-related errors, and fewer cases where characters interact with the environment in unexpected ways. Like many other systems in the project, geodata tools will continue to improve. Future updates will make it faster to update existing locations and help keep a high-quality game world as new content is released. This is one of those systems that players rarely notice while playing, which is usually a sign that it works well. The automatic pathfinding range has been increased five times. This makes navigation much more efficient in cities and other complex areas with many routes. VFX and visual effects of abilities As part of this update, a major rework of visual effects was completed. Many abilities now have completely new visuals, which players will see after installing the update. The main goal of these changes was to keep abilities easy to recognize, improve overall visual quality, and avoid overly bright or messy effects that can distract from gameplay. The new VFX are clearer and more informative. They better show what is happening in combat without blocking the view or hiding important gameplay details. For example, some effects now clearly show the status or type of an ability, making it easier to understand combat situations. Please note that the current version of the effects is not final. Visual work is still in progress, and many abilities will be further improved or fully reworked in future updates. Some changes will appear in the next patch, while others will be added gradually as they are completed. Interface The interface is being developed as part of the transition to Alpha and alongside the move to UE5. Because of this, it is being rebuilt as a functional system, not just a visual update. The main goal at this stage is to unify the UI structure, improve readability, and redesign key elements for real gameplay situations. Work started with setting basic design rules: information density, window behavior, visual hierarchy, and color palette. This was needed to make sure the UI stays readable in all situations and does not overwhelm players during PvP and PvE gameplay. A key focus was also keeping a familiar layout so players do not lose their existing muscle memory. Next, the main UI elements that directly affect gameplay were redesigned: Skill bar: Rebuilt for easier use in combat and reduced visual noise, since this is the player’s main tool for fighting. Minimap and radar: Simplified and organized to show navigation and functional buttons at the same time without clutter. Target window: Redesigned for faster reading of key information (level, target type, effects), with focus on combat clarity. Character status: HP/MP/CP display was simplified and made easier to read at a glance during combat. Inventory and clan windows: Updated to keep familiar logic, but with improved structure and clearer layout of elements. At the same time, the overall UI framework was rebuilt, including window logic, button behavior, and system elements. The transition to UE5 requires reworking and reconnecting some interface systems. This means some features may temporarily use placeholder solutions until the new system is fully integrated. At this stage, the UI is still an in-progress version. It will continue to evolve during Alpha testing and will be adjusted based on real usage and player feedback. Game world and immersion Immersion is the level to which a game makes the player feel part of its world and events, instead of just controlling a character on a screen. Immersion is usually created through several key factors: A believable and consistent world: Benches in towns (which you still cannot sit on yet), a sawmill across the river, a hammer and anvil in a forge, and the remains of unlucky travelers in monster caves — small details like these make the world feel alive. They turn the game from a set of locations into a place that feels real, builds trust, and encourages players to stay longer. Atmosphere created by graphics, sound, and music: The sound of water and rustling trees, sunlight rays, thunder and lightning, creepy ambient music in dungeons, and cheerful melodies in cities — all of these tools are used by artists, composers, and designers to shape the game’s mood. They guide player emotions and help deepen immersion in the world. Consistent rules and logic of the game world: Ancient crypts are haunted by undead, magical forests are filled with fairies, satyrs, and living trees, and hungry bears roam near honey farm. A world feels believable when its creatures, dangers, and rewards follow clear logic. Because of this, an armored knight feels like a much stronger enemy than a hare or jackal, and defeating him gives more valuable rewards. Immersion is not always tied to realism. Even a fully fictional world can feel believable if it follows its own internal rules, helping players feel like part of it. New game world Renewed Aden The city of Aden will be the main hub of the Alpha stage. It will contain the main new locations of this update, and it will soon be filled with adventurers. Aden and its surrounding areas will show the team’s approach to building and updating the game world. Although work on its transformation has only just begun, the changes will affect all cities and locations in the future. Aden will be the first clear example of the project’s new visual direction. The city has received a large-scale update and has been fully rebuilt. Old buildings are now only used as reference points. All architecture and environments are being recreated and filled with details that make the city more alive, atmospheric, and engaging. The architecture is now fully 3D. Walls, facades, and decorative elements are no longer flat textures. The capital now looks like a true royal city, with marble statues and columns, staircases, and fountains. Real balconies, windows, and other building details have been added. This gives the city more depth and makes each building feel unique. Ornaments, bas-reliefs, and other decorative elements are hand-crafted. We keep the original Aden style while updating it to modern quality standards. Building interiors are also being updated. For example, the church now has stained-glass windows, furniture, fabrics, and improved lighting, so spaces no longer feel empty. At the same time, the city keeps its familiar identity: streets, shops, and key landmarks remain in their original places. One of the biggest changes is the redesigned city center with a wider and more comfortable staircase. After finishing work in the inner districts, we will begin rebuilding the outer walls. However, this is not the final stage of Aden’s development. Over time, more decorative elements, public spaces, and unique details will be added. The goal is not just to create a large city, but a true capital with its own atmosphere, history, and identity. Tower of Insolence Giant's Cave Silent Valley Ancient Battleground Cemeteries World and environment There are different types of locations in the game: Main locations with their own teleport, boundaries, and names (for example: FOG, ABG, TOI floors, etc.) Small areas that players encounter randomly. These are typically clearings with monsters near towns or larger zones. These spots are typically less popular due to poor design, a lack of powerful monsters, or simply an empty environment. Suburbs will get a more vibrant and detailed environment They will also be reworked from a gameplay perspective: new monsters and their own names will appear. For your convenience, we have gathered all information about updates and changes in a separate forum section. This section will be regularly updated as the game develops, so you can always stay up to date with the latest news, planned improvements, and the project’s development progress. Alpha One Update Details A year ago, we started writing history. A story that many people doubted, some simply did not believe in, but one that countless players continued to follow. A year ago, we achieved something that even we could hardly believe was possible. Countless sleepless nights, hundreds of hours of meetings, discussions, fixes, successes, and setbacks. Optimizations, improvements, rollbacks, and rebuilding systems from the ground up. It is important to us that every change is driven not only by technical needs, but also by a clear vision of where the project is heading and what it should become. These are the decisions that shape the future of the game — not big promises, but consistent work, attention to detail, and open communication with the community. Our journey continues, and we are glad to have you with us. With TheDominator, TadasTheLithuanian, tash13 и 1 другой 2 1 1 Ссылка на сообщение Поделиться на других сайтах More sharing options...
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