MageWorks

Community Showcase Game Development
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More progress on the crafting process, and getting closer to a beta build. This video demonstrates the process / design intent of traveling out into the wild, collecting resources, and sending them home for shaping/crafting. The last few seconds of the video also show how the some of the tools, in this case the lathe (previously demonstrated was a crystal grinder), will create a file that is then 3D printed. The staff will be made of four basic parts: the crystal, hilt, upper staff and lower staff, all of which can be printed, or created full scale with real-world manufacturing equipment.

Also managed to finally figure out a way to get the preview window in VR to display the full screen window after a bunch of forum/answerhub research.

Next steps will be to smooth out the hand-saw process a bit better, continue work on a storage system for the interchangeable staff parts, and get the VR CNC machine online.

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Hi ,

Insane progress, Man. I have to say this is a whole new breed of Game. Unique Gameplay + VR + Real-world Laser Printers. You are really thinking out-of-box and have something really magical here.

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@TechLord wow, thanks man. I really appreciate the support!

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Woah! I never knew being a mage in training looked so awesome! I’m gonna follow this thread for sure.

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@unholypimpin , thanks for the vote of confidence!

has been awhile since i’ve had a chance to update the dev blog as i’ve been tackling freelance stuff before the holiday crunch…

the tutorial system is now in development with core features being programmed. every mage will receive a pet bird they can interact with that will help guide them through various points of the game when crafting or learning how to bookmark, or unlock different spells, etc. Being on a pretty tight budget means i have to limit dialogue and text that would require localization and voice over talent, so i’m aiming toward non-verbal communication. The pet raven will use a variety of gestures and squawks to bring attention to books with diagrams / picture instructions, map locations, and various tools to help players in the journey of learning about MageWorks.

here is an example of how the player can interact with the bird in a cosmetic way…a simple perch on a spellbook when presented the opportunity.

on a technical side, this has been a study in more advanced behavior trees than what i’m used to. have also learned about skeletal controls so the birds feet can match various perch surfaces / normals.

on a side note (and during this process), and for any other vr devs, i’ve randomly modified some Oculus Touch stands for 3D printing that fit on micro printers, so if anyone wants they can download it here:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1995281

a few other options out there as well, but this design fits onto an M3D printing bed where i do most of my MageWorks 3D printing customization tests.

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MageWorks update v0017 Now Available

Here’s a list of what’s new:

> Fixed a bug where level warping sound would trigger during spell casting
> Increased speed of log shaping rotation to speed up shaping process
> Additional level optimizations
> Fixed a bug where players could use machine tools to cast spells.
> New Spells! Have included two more spells to play around with. “Frostbite” is a close combat Ice spell that knocks back enemies. “Living Roots” spawns a friendly plant that attacks nearby enemies for a short period of time.
> Instruction books! Each workshop has a book/manual that players can flip through to learn how different workshops work. For this build, the Observatory and Library have books have been included. The different workshops will be included in the next build update.
> A Tutorial Bird! When a player first starts playing the game, a crow will hop around and squawk to get the player’s attention and guide them to learn how to interact with the features of MageWorks.

Known Issues:

> Several instruction books at each workshop currently show the bookmarking instructions, but will soon be workshop guides for each station.
> The Tutorial Bird & Tutorials stop at Lesson 401. This will be continued when all workshops are online and functioning
> The birds flight path may break if a player brings their bird into the outer courtyard of their Mage quarters.
> Some of the spells are malfunctioning a little and will be improved as more updates are released.

On The Horizon:

> continued improvements to the crafting system until all machines/stations are online for staff assembly
> a few more spells are still in the process of being constructed
> “quick play” games will be available where players can clear a vault, defend a fountain, or ride & shoot on the mining cart.

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Making progress on the quickplay modes where players can jump right into battle in one of three game types. The “Vaults” map pits the player against a dragon.

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Here’s a study of behavior to determine several issues like anim states, attack transitions, and general aim.

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Progress on transforming drawings into 3d printable and cnc tool paths.

a few hiccups with the mesh generation as you can see some of the triangles didn’t build as expected when i created the proc mesh. as soon as i figure out why they got twisted, I should be able to resolve the gaps in the print.

this also basically wraps up the 3-part assembly for the staff - base, top and crystal. so this means assembly kits will be next on the list to make sure custom parts are interchangeable.

in other development blog stuff…have made some progress on the opening menu scene / quickplay area access…

here’s a rough-out of the graveyard mana fountain defense level to get a feel for general flow and test different spell casting scenarios. also learned about the differences between detour crowds and default crowds and consequently the differences in crowd avoidance vs RVO avoidance.

zombie crew drinking mana…

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Dev Blog/Update 20170129

MageWorks v0.0.19 is now available!

A lot of these fixes and tweaks come from testing both internally and at various presentations. most recently, i had the opportunity to present at Friends School of Baltimore where I gave a brief lecture about independent VR development, followed by a workshop where students could play MageWorks and craft a few things. The workshop was located in the school’s maker-space, so we actually had the opportunity to 3D print one of the crystals that were crafted in-game. Here are a few photos that were taken by the teachers that day (permission to display these photos publicly have been approved by students/parents/faculty):

Hanging out in the crystal shaping shop:

Observing the observatory

This student had an Oculus Rift at home, so was comfortable summoning the hoverboard designed for advanced players.

Here’s me showing students some of the first parts that I started printing including the mess-ups which was part of the lecture i had given earlier regarding ‘create, observe, report, refine, repeat…’ combining scientific method mentality with lean start-up theory.

Anyhow, here are the patch notes for the newest build available on SteamVR (and hopefully Oculus Store soon). Thanks to the students for their feedback and opinions!

> Fixed a collision issue with the tools in the workshops. It’s now easier to pick them up / exchange with the players stave
> A new teleporting system has been implemented that differentiates between teleporting and using location-based spells. (since these update notes are on the ue4 forum, should probably mention this teleport system is now from the template. prior to this I had created my own using a different way of calculating trajectory, but i really liked the ‘predict projectile path’ node much better).
> Location based spells are now activated on release similar to the teleport, but with a notably different arc indication
> Usable object collision have been increased to allow for easier touch actions. For example gates can be opened and closed from further away now.
> A basic training area has been added. On first load, the player will start here, but can exit at any time after completing this level at least once. This is helpful to guide new players regardless of the campaign progression
> The tutorial book has been updated to include pages that describe different types of spells. for example, some spells require ‘reach’ and some require ‘ground’. Diagrams have been included with spell examples that illustrate this concept. Additionally, the tutorial book will always be loaded into basic training.
> Spells that require reach (the ball lightning spell requires reach for example) no longer require the staff trigger to be held to cast. As long as the player is reaching and pulls the trigger, the spell will activate.
> At the observatory, if a constellation is aligned with the telescope, players only need to teleport onto the travel portal to warp to another level. (Players no longer need to hold the staff trigger).

Known Issues (with some carried forward from previous build):

> The CNC machine (machine that creates the wood shape based on the drawings) occasionally runs into a bug where it doesn’t carve the drawing. this can temporarily be fixed by drawing a new drawing. This will be fixed in a future build.
> The 3d printed file from the CNC machine is still twisted at a few spots and i am working on a solution to this issue
> The tutorial bird A.I. is going through some changes, so you may see it fly to the correct place, but facing the wrong direction
> Quickplay gameplay is still in process of being developed, so the dragon may be impossible to kill at the moment (but is still fun to watch!)
> Saving custom staff shapes in the woodshop causes some issues on the storage shelf, but still creates the 3d printable file

On The Horizon (carried over from previous build):

> continued improvements to the crafting system so the staff can be assembled with stored parts
> a few more spells are still in the process of being constructed
> quick play games will continue to be tuned
> with core programming mostly complete, there will be optimizations and changes to level design to improve exploration gameplay
> the mining-cart quickplay game is in development

and speaking of mining cart quickplay game…here are a couple screenshots from the level rough-out:

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MageWorks v0.1.00 is now available!

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Am now entering into a beta-ish build with most of the game’s features implemented in some form or another. This update has primarily focused on the staff creation system and making sure that different staff parts can be built in a modular interchangeable way. Also included are a couple prefabricated staff parts to work with.

Here’s a list of what’s new:

> overhauled the staff to now support interchangeable parts
> replaced some spellbook icons with art that is more fitting to the spell that is cast
> the cart mining ride quickplay game now includes enemies (currently idle) for target practice
> fixed the basic training level to now require the home-warping spell to be unlocked as part of the tutorial

Known Issues:

> most spells are auto-unlocked at the moment because save-games will be overwritten during updates until full release
> the crystals that are tumbled are currently not saved, but will be fixed in a mini-update in the near future
> when players draw their designs on the drawing board, the part creation machine currently creates that part out of sequence and with some mesh errors, but i’m close to fixing this bug
> only the first curve drawn will be saved between levels, but this will be fixed in a future build
> the book of ink currently does not function, but will correctly load the desired ink type in a future build
> the campaign tutorial can only be completed up to level 401
> the tutorial crow occasionally gets stuck on the players book if the player holds the book out for a perch

On The Horizon:

> additional level design work to improve gameplay and optimization
> the dragon quickplay game will be available soon. (currently the dragon runs just runs around spitting fire)
> levels will be populated with level-specific flower types so different ink types can be created
> full staffs will be 3d printable. currently only parts are printable, but i’m developing a system that allows for either individual parts to be printed or the full staff as a single object.
> a couple spells still remain to be created and will be included in a future build.

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Putting all of the different pieces together so to speak. Here’s a look at the crafting process in its current state. Modular, custom, interchangeable parts that can be 3D printed into a full staff for collection.

The player collects wood, cut’s the ends off and loads it into the saw mill for bark removal. Once prepared, the wood can then be used on the lathe for shaping of the lower staff. The upper staff is prepared with ink drawings and is an introduction into the world of transforming drawings into manufactured parts. After the player cuts & mills flowers to create ink, the ink can be used to draw designs that transform into a tool path for the CNC machine. The parts are interchangeable and also saved to the local game directory so players can 3D print their designs. Several iterations of this process are demonstrated earlier in this thread.

This is the currently implemented system in the game, and next part of crafting dev will be the integration of the custom crystal. If time permits before the next build release, i also hope to include different ink types based on flowers collected representing different schools of magic and will amplify their respective spell casts.

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Started the documentation of the staff construction workshop. This workshop is a part of the game which teaches a player to collect resources and build a staff in relatively quick period of time.

So after collecting some reference images to establish the theme of the level (a water mill), sketched out a level in world machine.

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Brought that level into UE4, and because a lake was in the scene, established a quasi-sea level or water table


Roughed out the focus of the playable area where the water mill would be built.


In the process of building this level, was inspired by the GDC17 talks and specifically the advancements in the UE4 VR Editor. Hopped into the editor and was blown away. The controls are extremely intuitive. The only feature that would have been nice to have (and this may already be in there but i couldn’t find it) is instant rotation/sequence through a series of hotspots that preserve scale and orientation. Similar to the RTS hotkeys in the editor, VR could benefit from this as well, but in an approach that best suits VR editing. Anyhow, here’s about 20min of editing as I try and figure things out. Was a former QA person awhile ago, so thought maybe recording this might help whoever see how an end-user interfaces with the editor at first go…

random sidenote - didn’t realize shadowplay was capturing my spotify daily mix, so if this gets pulled because of the music in the background (don’t judge :stuck_out_tongue: ) i’ll re-upload with an overwritten soundtrack or something…

https://youtube.com/watch?v=HHV_6AzpWCw

and here’s a look at the level ready to receive all of the interactive tools and machines for staff construction and assembly. was able to deconstruct / reconstruct several marketplace assets to create the water mill.

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Is it possible to get to try a demo of this?

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MageWorks v0.1.6 is now available!

20170418
build v0.1.6

Here’s a list of what’s new:

> Staves are now fully craftable! Players can create parts for the lower staff, upper staff, and replace their crystals
> Quickplay areas are now unlocked sequentially as players complete lessons in the campaign
> Players now have a crafting book to accompany them in the workshop watermill as a guide to learn about crafting
> Custom staffs can be exported for 3d printing at the edge of the lake at the watermill workshop.
> A tutorial spirit bird helps guide the player around during MageWorks lessons.
> New enemy type: Archers! Archers have been integrated into maps as the levels continue to evolve with more content to interact with.
> The observatory controls are now integrated into the viewfinder
> Teleporting has been re-mapped to the top of the touchpad.
> HoverDroning now requires the grip button to be held in order to move.

Known Issues:

> Texture stretching will occur on the custom staff top for longer curves.
> Not all spells are available, but only a couple left to complete

On The Horizon:

> Fixing known issues
> Continued work on level design
> Improved combat mechanics
> Optimized staff shapes for cleaner 3d printing
> Integrating game settings into the tutorial book

[EDIT] More devBlog info…
Recently had an event at a library not too long ago where I presented MageWorks with a focus on the staff crafting workshop/watermill area. Over the course of about 3 hours or so, 11 students had the chance to sign up and play MageWorks to craft their staff and print in the library’s “Exploration Room” (Carroll County Public Library, Maryland). Was a really fun event and the students created/3d printed some pretty cool stuff!

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All spells have finally been integrated into the game. The current release on Steam Early Access reverts the spell states to all being unlocked again until the levels have been tuned to improve gameplay. Here’s a look at the overview for the 5 spellbooks and the 5 drones, two drones of which are utility spells (flashlight and hoverboard), where the other 3 drones are high-impact combat spells including a Sentry Drone, a Guardian Drone, and a Turret Drone.

here’s a closer look at the Sentry Drone, which is a slow moving high impact exploding music box.

When the spells are locked up again at full release time, the Drone spells will be discoverable each in their own cave vault accessed via the exploration levels. Here’s a look at the plan being developed for the initial combat testing and tuning:

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The spells in mageworks are divided into 5 types and for the most part, follow the archetypes of: 1) long-range low impact 2) location based, mid-range, mid-impact 3) short ranged high impact 4) summoning 5) defense. Each type provides a good use case in certain scenarios. so now i’m in the process of developing the modular attack points in the exploration levels that can be reconfigured into different positions for game-play testing. Clearing each attack point configuration will give players access to a new spell to discover (based on those presented in the previous thread entry) making them more powerful for the next encounter. Here are a few examples of the planning process with the modular attack points being configured:

exploring different combinations/configurations of attack points in relation to the lay of the land has been a fun but challenging part of the design process…

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Continuing the process of designing the various assault points that encourages different type of spell use in various combinations of modules. With the overall range somewhat figured out, have gone in to start detailing each area with the architecture using prototype stuff from the marketplace. when the arrangements have been play tested again, new art (hopefully) will replace the current marketplace modules to give the game a unique art direction where possible.

Some more design dev:

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One of the biggest challenges I’ve had with gameplay design in MageWorks is designing for two different speeds. When a player is teleporting, that mechanic really demands a certain type of design & interaction frequency. When a player is moving traditionally (in this case by means of a hover drone), the game should really be designed another way. Trying to avoid an experience where a player is “walking on a highway” or “driving through a sidewalk”. A good example of multi scalar design is TitanFall since the game exists in two different scales where each has it’s advantage. So i’ve tried to design the assault points strategically in a way where the player can interact more frequently with NPC’s every few teleports, but also have the room to take advantage of analogue movement with the hover drone.

anyhow, here are the 4 attack point configurations from the “Frozen Cliffs”

and here are the attack points for “Pyroclasm”

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MageWorks v0.1.8 is now available!

What’s New:

  • Assault Points are here: 12 of 20 different assault points protecting the discovery of new spells have now been integrated. Fight your way strategically through these areas to unlock new spells.
  • Spell Casting Updates: Spells have now been categorized into five types. Long-Range Low Impact, Location based snares, Short Range High Impact, Summoning, and Defensive Walls
  • A.I. Updates: Archers are pretty accurate now and need to be considered when hitting an attack point.

Known Issues:

  • Dragon Fight is still being programmed
  • Staff ink injection doesn’t empower spells yet, but will soon.
  • The forest level vault has not been built yet
  • The crystal grinder broke somehow, and i’ll have this fixed in a small patch in the

On The Horizon:

  • Vaults will launch players into cave-based assault points to discover new drones. These drones are currently unlocked for testing.
  • Continued work on level design and integrating assault points into the cave level and town level
  • Continued optimization and bug-crunching.

[EDIT] 2017/05/25
In the process of building the game, I’ve been trying to keep up with the trailer as well by using somewhat of a template format and replacing video footage to fit in the general design sequence of the gameplay description. Originally I was using the title/caption feature in Adobe Premiere, and as I was switching over to After Effects to start getting into font FX, I realized this could probably be done just as easy in the game engine (or easier). So i put together 8 scenes with an overabundance of particles, dynamic lighting, props and text to splice into the game play trailer.

Here is the old trailer with plain text captions:

Here is a look at the new title/caption takes:

And the resulting integrated new caption takes are integrated into the trailer at the top of this post.

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Rebuilding “The Shoppes” which is the demon-magic themed town-based level in MageWorks.

Comparing the initial sketches with further development. The first sketch and implementation about 8 months ago.

Once game-play began to sink in, and the assault-point concept was implemented, it made sense to start rebuilding the older content to better meet the design of how the spells and game-play evolved. Here’s the new sketch and implementation in process…

[EDIT] additional design dev with art direction…

Am using non-uniform scaling with an asset to build variations of structures within the assault points.

[EDIT] more design dev & meshing, this time with the ice-magic levels. the deco objects here are actually a handful of icicles from infinity blade assets that were reconfigured, modified and combined in 3ds max. the snow mounds from that same source haven’t been altered other than non-uniform scaling.