Nearly a year of updates - in one post!

It's been nearly a year since I last published a devlog on here, but I've still been working away on the game in the meantime.

In that time, I've put out seven updates. I've been pretty slack, and have just been posting the patch notes in the Discord for players, but I want to get back to posting here regularly when I update.

After the 2020.7 release (time travel) in March 2020, I had a long period where I struggled to get much done on the game. I spent some time working on a multiplayer prototype, but I wasn't able to get in into a good shape with the library I had picked. That, combined with the stresses of last year in general, meant that it would be a while before the community would see another update.

I'm especially thankful to the folks on Discord in this period for being so understanding and patient, your continued support was a big part of the reason this is just the start of this blog post.

November 10th, 2020 - v2020.8 - The Level Editor Update

v2020.8 is live, featuring a new level editor, improved animations, and an improved camera.

The level editor is pretty basic right now, but you can open it from the main menu.

Controls: Left stick - move current piece of road
A/Cross: create new road piece
X/Square: delete road piece
RB/R1: select next road piece
LB/L1: select previous road piece
Triggers: change height of current road piece
Y/Triangle: Spawn skater at current road piece
As Skater, hold Y/Triangle or press start to go back to editor.

You can also copy the level code and paste it on here, and then use the "Load seed" button when it's in your clipboard. I'll make a better way to share in future, but wanted to put something in we can all try out now

November 12th, 2020 - v2020.9

 @everyone I put out another update just now, v2020.9.

Main changes are that the level editor now generate smoother terrain, you can make taller hills and the controls should work much better. It should also run more smoothly, especially when editing big hills.

Not much change in terms of gameplay since I just wanted to finish off a few issues with the level editor I couldn't get into the last release, but I did make an improvement to the animations that I think y'all will like.

What would you like to see in the next update? I'm keen to do  some small features and changes before I start on the next big tricky thing

November 13th, 2020 - v2020.10 - The Thane Lines Update

@everyone new update out now! thane lines!

also some improvements to the level editor. the curves should be smoother, but you might need to adjust your old levels since the corners will be more mellow by default now.

didn't get around to adjustable wheels yet but they're a bit grippier now than they were

December 27th, 2020 - v2020.11 - Cars, Guard Rails, and more!

new update out now (2020.11)!

features (only on level editor maps):
 - cars!
 - guard rails!
 - adjustable wheel slidiness!
 - splitscreen in level editor maps
 - new background/skybox

improvements:
 - tweaked physics, less acceleration but keep your speed better
 - slides are more responsive, 180s should be less annoying
 - slightly more turning at speed, but less turning while airbraking
 - new menu in the level editor, with hopefully reliable copy/load buttons (hit start/options)

fixes:
  - wireless ps4 controllers should work now without steam big picture (use ds4windows)
  - fixed some input bugs where slides would initiate in wrong direction
  - fixed some cases where player would die immediately after spawning
  - lots more misc fixes

didn't make it this time but soon:
 - a better way to save and share levels
 - improvements to the level editor (finish lines, adjusting camber in corners)

February 2nd, 2021 - v2020.12 - Trick display, UI Overhaul, camber and finish lines

@everyone just released a new update!

features:
  - trick display, including slide length
  - UI overhaul
  - level editor now shows slope grade
  - you can now adjust camber in the level editor with left/right on the d-pad
  - you can now place start/finish lines in the level editor with up/down on the d-pad
  - there's a linux build now (untested)

improvements:
  - overhaul on the toeside standup animation

fixes:
  - fixed legs and feet disappearing sometimes

April 9th, 2021 - v2021.1 - Level sharing/saving, day/night cycle

New version released, 2021.1

Big features:
- you can now make an account on https://www.downhillgame.com/ which you can use to log in and share and play levels
- you can save levels locally
- day night cycle in the level editor
- new follow camera, much smoother
- physics tweaked again, higher top speed, slightly lower acceleration

Nice stuff:
- improve smoothness of animations
- feet stay on board better
- fix trick detection for goofy

Broken stuff:
- can't republish a level, will come in future versions
- can't play without logging in right now, should be able to play offline after that though
- custom camera is broken for the moment

This release is a bit rough but wanted to get it out there since it's been awhile without an update. I'll try to polish up the rough edges over the next few weeks, but in the meantime enjoy :)

May 6th, 2021 - v2021.2

just published a new version, 2021.2.

Just some small stuff:
- Added a settings menu!
- Can change default stance, traffic direction, and metric/imperial units for slides/speed (separately)
- Fixed splitscreen not working, and fixed some bugs that happen when you press pause when playing splitscreen
- Adjusted the UI layout and scaling a bit so it should all fit onscreen more reliably. Small windows will now overlap instead of cutting off. This will be improved in future
- Shadows from the sun have softer edges now

The Future
The next big thing I want to tackle is multiplayer. It's quite likely that will take a while, but I'm feeling much better about how I want to approach it this time, and I'm confident I'll be able to get a good result.

It's important that I do the multiplayer before doing too much more work, because I'll likely need to revisit a lot of what I've already done to get it working in multiplayer, so it's better to bite the bullet now.

After that, I want to look at adding a more natural physics and controls system, and then think about character and gear customization.

As always, thanks to everyone who's supported me, either through buying a copy or just general words of encouragement. I really appreciate it!

You can pick up your copy of Downhill and support development here: widdershin.itch.io/downhill

Also, if you own the game and you're not already on the Discord, come check it out. There's a link on your download page, and it's a great way to give feedback or report bugs.