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[quentinl]

Hi,

I wanted to know what is happening regarding the future of Outerra

The lastv outerra post on Twitter are 1 year old for @outerra (https://twitter.com/outerra) and 11 months for @outerradev (https://twitter.com/outerradev) and the same for Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/user/cameni47)

Is something wrong with the developpement of the engine or is it just because a lot of work is being made ?

I just want to know

Thanks in advance

Note : Feel free to move my topic if it's not in the right category

[fly77]

while waiting that developers answer your question....I am sure that it is because  lot of work is being made right now..as the next update is nearing...and I am sure it will be a mayor one...about the future ..of course only devs can answer

[quentinl]

Maybe i'm wrong, but it seems to me that it's been a couple of months since the next update was "near"

[fly77]

.

[fly77]

"near" means < 1 year 

[2eyed]

Some things need half a life to get good. Like Outerra. Patience You must have!

[Jagerbomber]

"near" was 2 years ago, Fly.

[fly77]

Maybe I'm missing something ...the last version was released march 2019  so its 1 year and 2 months  back now.

What I was saying is that we won't have to wait for another year to get the next update.

 

[quentinl]

A message from the devs would be appreciated

A "Hey, we live" or "We are still working on it"
Something like that

[cameni]

Ok guys, sorry for the lack of updates. Things went even more quiet than usual in the second half of 2019, thanks to a couple of things happening.

First a large, long term project we participated on ended, technically successful but with no subsequent big deals materializing. That participation cost us a lot of time and resources, and while the funds from it allowed us to continue working on and enhancing the engine and the world data it needs, it didn't fruit into what we hoped for - a situation that would allow usexpanding and freeing our hands to focus on our own game development plans, in addition to the work that continuously needs to go into the engine itself.

Still, the outcomes of the project were useful in bringing several things into OT, that would be otherwise much harder to come by, for example the 10m imagery and forest mask data, worth >$100k.

Subsequently, a few of the old devs also felt exhaustion from the complex and neverending effort of building the world engine, and left in pursuit of easier targets.

***

But ultimately all these things led to positive changes.

We've updated our licensing deals with our existing partners. It means that you can (possibly) expect to see entertainment games and/or simulators based on the OT engine in the future, but the deal also includes measures to make our licensees less dependent on us and considerably lower the amount of support we have to provide. We still need to support and develop the engine and the world, but we now have a lot more space for our own development on top of the engine.

Also very importantly, the working atmosphere in our rejuvenated team is also a lot brighter now.

***

So, what's coming? New x64-only release is around the corner, with new Earth8 datasets including imagery and forest data and global buildings, 3D trees (wip species coverage), global weather, cloud shadows, scriptable scenery objects, character stuff etc.

At the moment we are still fixing some glaring bugs and preparing servers to handle the new data. There's also a plan to release the full data as a DLC on Steam for people who do not want to have the data downloaded progressively, but the whole package for reduced resolution data (40m color, 20m tree map) is currently ~160GB (10m full data package would be around 500GB).

Anteworld stays to be a sandbox game for enthusiasts, but like I said we've now got much more time to work on our game stuff, and a better aligned team as well.

At last, I thank you all for your unbelievable patience

TLDR: We are still alive and stubbornly working on the thing.

[inactive]

This is stuff that at one point, i thought i'd only see in my dreams. I absolutely love all the hard work that's gone into this engine and I cant wait to see what is coming next.

[andfly]

Ok guys, sorry for the lack of updates. Things went even more quiet than usual in the second half of 2019, thanks to a couple of things happening.

First a large, long term project we participated on ended

This, selfishly, is good news.
I suppose it is the collaboration with TITANIM, I always thought it was the primary cause of the slowdown in engine progress.


 technically successful but with no subsequent big deals materializing

Unfortunately, it is the tragedy of being in the "first important business", the desire to make yourself known and promote a product in which there are many hopes leads, at times, to suffer even too demanding clauses just to "appear" on the market ...
In this sense, therefore, it is fortunate that the story is finally over, and not just an egoistic satisfaction from all the fans who follow you.


but the deal also includes measures to make our licensees less dependent on us and considerably lower the amount of support we have to provide

Excellent strategy ... always selfishly ... there will be more time "for us"!
(However, probably a strategy made possible by all the work done with TITANIM that has made the innovative consistency of your product known to the world market)


New x64-only release is around the corner, with new Earth8 datasets including imagery and forest data and global buildings, 3D trees (wip species coverage), global weather, cloud shadows, scriptable scenery objects, character stuff etc.

This, of course, is the most important news for us users.
We hope that "around the corner" is really early and we look forward to the news announced.


(10m full data package would be around 500GB)

Well ... actually ... a nice package that will discourage many occasional users ...
However, with the low costs of mass storage (even SSDs are quite accessible) I think I'm not the only one who would be willing to dedicate a fixed space to this data even if it will take some time to download it!


We are still alive and stubbornly working on the thing

The word I appreciate most in this sentence is "stubbornly".

I understand that in recent times the development of Outerra has seemed slowed down but I believe that many, knowing the "tough laws of the market" realize that being overwhelmed by commitments which cannot be waived can cause discomfort and contrasts ( "a few of the old devs also felt exhaustion from the complex and neverending effort of building the world engine, and left in pursuit of easier targets") to the point of justifying the situation.
Also because it wasn't always like this!
"Long-time" fans will certainly remember that we were used to a succession of new versions much closer to each other than what has been lately!
Having created a renewed and more motivated staff is an excellent premise for the progress of the growth rate of the engine and its game features.

I feel very confident and I appreciate Cameni's post which made us participate in internal news, which he was not obliged to reveal, which certainly contributed to a greater understanding of the situation.

We are all waiting for the news of a fresh and motivated team, which works ... "stubbornly".

[cameni]

First a large, long term project we participated on ended

This, selfishly, is good news.
I suppose it is the collaboration with TITANIM, I always thought it was the primary cause of the slowdown in engine progress.

No it's not that. I know people blame it for the slowed down progress, but without early commercial licensing we wouldn't last a year on the sandbox game sales alone. Development costs are high and the goal is too ambitious to be done quickly, and other sources of venture funding would force us to change what we are working on ...

[andfly]

First a large, long term project we participated on ended

This, selfishly, is good news.
I suppose it is the collaboration with TITANIM, I always thought it was the primary cause of the slowdown in engine progress.

No it's not that. I know people blame it for the slowed down progress, but without early commercial licensing we wouldn't last a year on the sandbox game sales alone. Development costs are high and the goal is too ambitious to be done quickly, and other sources of venture funding would force us to change what we are working on ...

" I know people blame it for the slowed down progress "

Well ... apparently I too was misled by "what is said around" and I drew hypothetical hasty conclusions without knowing the facts ...

But these are private details that should not interest us users.
What matters, and is decisive, was knowing that a renewed, rejuvenated and motivated team is working without the weight of a story that negatively influenced the serenity and productivity of the group.

This is good news that inspires high hopes ! 

P.S.
If I can afford a very personal consideration ...
A real pity that Outerra is still strongly linked to war, bombs and destruction equipment.
It may seem like the thought of a stupid idealistic fanatic but it is not (at least I hope).
I always believed that a wonder like Outerra deserved to privilege and replicate, first, the best things in the world !!!
I am perfectly aware that war and weapons are an objective reality to the point that a huge amount of current video games simulate fighting and killing. I myself, passionate about flight simulators, spent hours strafing and bombing enemy targets without too many moral scruples (obviously knowing how to simulate). It would be stupid to close your eyes and reason with the fanaticism of the pacifist to the bitter end.
Moreover, the famous "harsh laws of the market" impose concrete choices that go beyond "ideal" reasoning and ... money is taken from those who offer it to us ... and it would be unintelligent not to do so.
Indeed, this outburst DOES NOT ABSOLUTELY WANT TO BE A CRITICISM !
Indeed, only absolutely agree with this line of behavior (for what my opinion is worth ...)
It was just a very personal consideration.

A real pity ...

[fly77]

" ..A real pity that Outerra is still strongly linked to war, bombs and destruction equipment."

I perfectly agree that too many games are dedicated to war, extreme violence, horror, etc.. and there is a need for more "creative" games.
However I disagree that outerra is headed for war and distruction. I can't see any sign of that (if we exclude TitanIM...which however is a different company)
Its just a place (sandbox) that needs to be populated with whatever comes to our minds....for now....and I have no clue what the devs game ideas are.

Actually for the moment outerra is a very peaceful place...besides your birds..there is not much life...and not much is going on....
Even driving cars is totally safe, as they will never crash...just bump around and fall back once again on their wheels   
Same for planes...no risk of any plane crash ! fly into a mountain and just continue your flight after some random bumping around !  Not very realistic ..nor exciting.
So we actually need some risk, some damage ,some  accidents and why not demolition ....and above all more life.
Its still good also to have also a peacful fantasy world...but that's what it is right now....too peaceful !
The most "explosive" thing we can do for now is shooting with the plasma thingies to decorate the terrain with craters.

To get some exciting "action" into outerra the most easy way is probably something related to shooting...
which requires some adversaries, damage and why not ...distruction ...
Its true: this uses outerra to make something similar to existing games...and that should not be the aim of outerra....
but for the moment as there is no "action" in outerra this is the most straightfoward way to proof that it is possible to get it...

Other ways would be preferred ...but need some more elaborate game concept than just a simple first person shooter.

Any idea how to implement in a short time a more peaceful but still exciting experience in outerra...besides travelling...is therefore welcome !