STORYLINE

University of Maui Lahaina College To Host Free Drone Boot Camp

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So you bought yourself a drone because you thought it’d be fun to fly around. However, despite what the manufacturer promised, piloting one isn’t “a breeze”, it feels more like brain surgery. On top of that, you had no idea there were so many rules and regulations covering their operation. If this story sounds familiar, don’t worry. The University of Maui Lahaina College wants to help. The school will be hosting a free drone boot camp this weekend to teach owners how to safely and legally, fly their drones.

Dean Richard Mahelona says, “Drones aren’t just a fad anymore. They’re almost as common as birds in the sky around Lahaina. We want to help the public learn how to safely use these amazing machines without worry, and without inadvertently breaking any laws. We’ll have a number of experts available at the event to help guide drone owners of all skill levels, and best of all it’s free!”

The boot camp is open to anyone ages 10 or older wanting to learn a wide range of drone related skills including: piloting, maintenance, and regulations. Participants must register online and bring their own drone. The event is limited to 100 participants, but is free, and others are welcome to come and watch. “We just want to make the skies safer for everyone,” says Mahelona.

With the expansion of Glimpsea across the island, and the the creation of the Veil News Network (VNN), more and more companies are turning to drone technology for a number of their needs; but it’s not just businesses filling the skies with drones. The number of private citizens who own a drone has gone up over 200% in the past 10 years. With that increase has come dozens of close-calls, accidents, and complaints as well as a couple of high profile incidents that put lives in danger, most recently one involving a VNN drone. “It’s those kind of incidents that we’re trying to prevent,” says local inventor and boot camp instructor Ano Lee.

“We were all newbs once,” Lee says. “I try and go over more than just the hows and whys in a class. I go over all the real things a droner needs to know before they fly their machines. There are a many things that seem like a ton of fun to first time drone owners, but are actually illegal. I make sure to go over everything that a rookie droner might want to try, but shouldn’t. Things like: chasing birds, delivering beer to underage friends, shredding kites, peeking through windows, crashing into other drones, scaring people at night, or following an ex. Just because something sounds like fun, doesn’t mean you should do it. I just wish there was a program like this when I was first getting interested in drones.”

In addition to technical proficiency, piloting skills, and rules and regulations, Lee says he teaches his students everything they need to know about drone culture. “It may be a fast growing hobby, but it’s still not a huge club,” he says. Ano says that it is as important for people to understand and embrace the drone community, as it is to understand the rules and regulations laid out by the government.

“I believe operators have a responsibility to change the negative stereotypes surrounding drone ownership. We have to be good stewards for the droner community. I try to explain that to my students, and give them a few tips on fitting in. We discuss how important it is to add a custom paint job to your drone, making sure you use complimentary colors, and only high-quality graphics. A great drone owner, has a drone with a great name. You want to pick something that really speaks to your personality, and helps convey your message, while avoiding things that sound lame. The Wind Walker, The Scarlet Swift, The Moon Chaser, and The Wisp are all awesome names. Lastly, for those who can afford it, I explain how useful having a custom casing can be for a first-timer. I recommend your favorite spaceship, or a realistic bird casing. The Glimpsea Gull model is amazing, and except for the weird fans sticking out, it’s almost indistinguishable from the real thing. It’s a great icebreaker when you’re around other droners. I’m actually running a casing mod special at my maker facility. Just come down to the tchotchke hut and tell them you heard about the offer, and we’ll give you 15% off your first custom casing. We expect demand to be pretty high this weekend, so please hurry before we run out of plastic.”

STORYLINE

Re: “Meal Ticket” Episode 6 Show Notes and the Eric Oeming Incident

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Mr. Abramo,

I am new to the VNN family, but not to being a showrunner. However, In all my years in the industry, with dozens of successful programs under my belt, I have never received show notes like the ones I found on my desk this morning. I think you have vastly underestimated the liabilities you have raised, and the difficult position that you have placed me, the network, and yourself in.

Since the filming of episode 6 with Eric Oeming yesterday, my phone has not stopped ringing. I have had to bump emergency meetings, for more emergency meetings. As you know, we have had many high profile issues lately, and we can not afford another public incident. However, I am learning to lead with positivity, so let me address what we can partially agree on. The first part of your note states:

“VNN came to me with this development deal because you were hungry for locally produced content. At the very beginning, I informed you that I didn’t want to do anything demeaning or harmful to my brand. I wasn’t interested in doing anything rehashed, schlocky, or outdated. If I was going to put together a feast for the eyes of your viewers, it was going to be something I could be proud of in 20 years. I didn’t want to create something that I’d have to quickly change the channel when it came on. You promised me all of your resources, and complete autonomy, but I’m beginning to feel like you shorted my delivery. I don’t feel like you’re respecting my vision, and what I’m trying to cook up here.

“Meal Ticket”, isn’t just another reality dating show. It’s a chance for people to know that you really can have your steak and eat it too. It’s stories of love tragically lost, and found anew. It’s the dream of meeting someone under false pretenses, who has a lot of money, that you don’t necessarily dislike, and competing to marry them. Without our gentle nudge, many of these wealthy widows and widowers might spend the rest of their lives eating alone. This is about the hunt for life and love, an ancient play, performed against the backdrop of the finest chop house in the world, while a lavish dinner is served. New prospective dates arrive with each course, allowing viewers to see love, and a perfectly crafted meal progress before their eyes. Nobody has done anything this close to artistic perfection before, so why are you making substitutions to my recipe?”

While we do support the artistic vision of our show partners, I think you might have overestimated how much new ground your hidden camera dating show is breaking. My office is always open should you need anything. If you had only taken advantage of my open door policy, we might have avoided the nightmare we are currently in. You further write:

“This Eric Oeming episode should have been our best yet, but he was awful! I refuse to believe that it is too soon for the most famous man who has ever lived, to get back into the swing of things with a motivated young lady. There’s no way he should be single! It’s been over nine years since his family was killed in that explosion and his return to work. How long can you mourn? If anything, he should be thanking me. Instead, he’s so damn humorless that his lawyers are threatening to come after me for not getting a signed waiver to record him. They’re also going on with some nonsense about false pretenses and statements, as if lying to someone to include them in a reality show is a crime. He’s a public figure, I’m sure there are people lying to him all day long. This has been a great reminder to me that no good deed goes unpunished. If he and his team of lawyers wants a fight, that’s just what they’ll get! Bob Abramo is not one to be truffled with!”

I hardly know where to begin with this statement. I think you have misjudged how big your seat is at the table. In addition to being the most famous man who has ever lived, and one of the most beloved residents of Lahaina, Eric Oeming owns our parent company, do you know what that means? I won’t even get into the rumors about what happens to individuals who get on his wrong side, since the attack.

According to Oeming’s people he was told that he was being presented with something called the “Aloha Spirit” award for his lifetime of work promoting the love and ingenuity of the Hawaiian people. The only reason that he agreed to attend, is that his long-time friend “Uncle” Ralph Umeke was supposed to be presenting the award. Of course we both know this was a lie. Mr. Umeke personally told me, “I’d give up the noodle shop before I’d be involved with a monster like Abramo, and I’d never knowingly subject Eric to what amounts to a speed dating show about gold-diggers. It’s repugnant, and Abramo better hope I don’t see him walking down Front Street!”

Let me be clear, your conduct in this matter has been reprehensible. Beginning immediately, we are cancelling “Meal Ticket”. This episode, and all previously shot episodes, will never, ever air. We’re sending a team to your offices and restaurant to claim: all equipment, any copies you might have, any dailies, unused footage, and any promotional materials. I’ll remind you that we are allowed, under your contract, to go through: any personal accounts, cloud storage, computers, and physical files at your office, place of business, and home. In addition, we are: cancelling your Phxicom account, dropping your subscription to VNN network channels, cutting off your access to our chat bots and AI’s, and it’s my understanding that Lisa Hunt is beyond furious. I’m going to need you to come down to the offices this afternoon, so I can collect your badge and commissary card. I would suggest you spend the morning considering how you can mend fences, and think of a way to survive the wrath of Ms. Hunt. I’m afraid you’ve bitten off more than your fair share of trouble this time Mr. Abramo.

Jake Tripper
Vice President of Special Programming
VNN

STORYLINE

Popular VNN Show Put on Hiatus After Drone Crashes Into Condominium

A drone filming the popular Veil News Network (VNN) show “The Beach Report” crashed into the Aloha Shores condominiums early this morning, causing serious damage to several units. While nobody was injured in the crash, this is the second incident involving drones filming the show in the past month. Officials are still investigating the incident and no charges have been filed at this time. VNN has temporarily canceled the show pending an investigation, and the FAA says it is gathering information on the case.

Along with its sister show “Veil-Curious”, an arts and leisure show that focuses on bar reviews, embarrassing tourists, and the location of a particular Italian ice vendor, The Beach Report is one of VNN’s most successful programs, especially among the 18-34-year-old demographic. It reports on temperature, wave height, wind, and “all the weather and water conditions you need to enjoy the sand and surf,” according to its programming description on the VNN website. Critics however claim that in practice, the show is nothing more than a way for viewers to ogle beachgoers. They say the show’s real-time target voting has lead to frequent unsavory viewing and recent accidents.

Officials say that The Beach Report drone began following a group of tourists heading to the beach early this morning. After being followed for a few hours, they took a Hailoha downtown in an attempt to evade the camera but were unsuccessful. The group then ran into Aloha Shores to call the police. Witnesses say that the drone tried to follow them, hitting a number of units, breaking windows, and causing exterior damage, before eventually crashing into the pool.

This is not the first time that a Beach Report drone has been involved in an accident. Earlier this month the show was in the headlines after a drone reportedly collided with a tour helicopter filled with some of the day’s most “popular” beach visitors. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has an open investigation in the case saying, “The NTSB is aware of the pilot’s report that she was forced to make an emergency landing to avoid a drone, but the NTSB has not yet been able to independently verify that information.”

Jake Tripper, Vice President of Special Programming, says that VNN is cooperating with authorities, and is putting The Beach Report on hiatus pending a thorough investigation. Despite the pushback on the show, and how it is run, Tripper says he believes the issues can be resolved with software updates, and stricter safety protocols.

“Look, we’re just giving the public what it wants. I agree that these incidents are troubling, but we’re working with authorities and doing our own internal investigation to make sure things like this don’t ever happen again. Having said that, you would not believe the number of complaints we’ve had about the show being on break. It’s clear that the people of Lahaina take their beaches very seriously, and understand how important real-time condition reports can be when planning your day. If in the course of getting a good look at the beach, we sometimes include someone lounging on the sand, or playing in the surf, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. There are all sorts of natural wonders to look at on our shores. The show’s “Sunburn Watch” segment has saved more young, taut, firm, bodies from skin damage, and sold more suntan lotion, than any other show on the network.”

Steve and Frank Lacey, of Lacey Property Management, say they pride themselves in taking care of their residents, and are shocked about the amount of damage the drone did. “I’m just glad that it didn’t hit one of our residents, it could have been disastrous. As far as I know, our condos aren’t in any danger of getting a sunburn, so there’s no need for their drones to be so close to the property. Something needs to be done to make sure nothing like this happens again. Once is an accident, twice is a problem,” says Frank. Still, Steve has a somewhat more optimistic view of the drone crash.

“I agree with my brother about the seriousness of this incident. Nonetheless, I think it will be ultimately good for business. It highlights just how hip and happening our community is. Aloha Shores is the preferred property destination for the vibrant young professional population of Lahaina. I mean the viewers of The Beach Report wanted to be part of the community so bad they crashed a drone into our pool. We’re located along some of the most beautiful beaches anywhere. Our residents are within walking distance of world class cuisine, and a fast growing nightlife scene. Our units boast the finest in eco-friendly furnishings and accouterments. Our poolside furniture is composed of pesticide free, non-GMO grasses and vines. We serve locally grown and roasted coffee, a wide variety of free-trade-heirloom teas, and organic hand-seeded melons in our communal breakfast nooks. All of our tiki mugs are handmade by local artisans, and the poolside umbrellas are made from repurposed awning materials from some of the oldest buildings on Front Street. We care about what you care about at Aloha Shores, and it shows. We have a limited number of units available, call today!”

Officials say they are still taking witness statements, and going over the scene of the accident, but Veilcorp attorney Harold Breen released a statement this morning which reads in part, “We are working openly with authorities and are grateful that nobody was hurt in this incident. Veilcorp and VNN take safety very seriously.”

STORYLINE

Hit VNN Crime Show Under Fire From Privacy Groups and Mayor’s Office

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The hugely popular VNN show, “Crime Time Lahaina” has come under fire from privacy advocates, and law enforcement this week, putting the future of the newly created program in jeopardy. Mayor Cravalho says there are serious concerns about the legality of some segments, and the program sends the wrong message to tourists. Privacy groups say that the information shared in an episode is often misleading or false, and that the show is potentially dangerous. VNN says Crime Time simply uses publicly available information, and serves as an important tool for tourists and residents alike who want a safer Lahaina.

Despite only being on the air for a little over a month, Crime Time Lahaina has become one of the fledgling network’s biggest hits. Every morning viewers tune into the program to see the previous day’s mugshots, incident reports, and even a list of tickets written. Areas of “rising crime” are featured, and the program’s drone cameras take a tour over Lahaina, highlighting homes and apartments where convicted criminals live. Viewers watching the live feed can request coverage over specific areas, or even individual people, who they’ve witnessed committing a crime.

Host and creator Gary Puniwale says Crime Time is the natural progression of neighborhood watch programs, John Cam shows, and the old fashioned police blotter. He says the show offers Lahaina residents a better look at who their neighbors are, and tourists a chance to keep themselves safe. “Crime Time Lahaina, simply lets people know who the criminals are, and what areas of town they need to be careful in. We’re talking about the ultimate in awareness and citizen policing. We hold nothing back from the public. I’m sorry if that is ruffling feathers at the police department or hurting tourism, but I’m more concerned about the safety of my neighbors, than the shops on Front Street having a better summer this year than last.”

Critics however point out that the majority of the “crimes” highlighted in the show involve minor things such as jaywalking, or failing to come to a complete stop at an intersection. In addition, the cameras often appear to follow people for nothing other than voyeuristic reasons. A Lahaina Police Department Spokesperson says they have received numerous complaints from tourists who say the cameras have followed them for hours, hovered outside hotel windows, and harassed them while inside public changing areas along the beach. Privacy advocates point out that arrest reports are routinely amended after they are aired on the program, without the corrections being made public. In addition, they claim that the information shared on Crime Time is often misleading or incomplete. Recently the program listed a prominent Tanager Lane resident as an active felon, although his record, for a crime committed as a teenager, was supposed to be expunged years ago.

“It’s just out of control,” says Mayor Albert Cravalho. “It’s no surprise to me or law enforcement that the show has become what it is. Gary himself is a felon with a long history of interfering with law enforcement, incompetence, and making false reports. I can’t begin to understand the logic in giving someone like him a show of this nature. It’s like asking a mongoose to watch your henhouse. The drones are constantly shooting footage through widows, as well as harassing tourists and sunbathers. This show isn’t about protecting people, or making Lahaina safer. It sure isn’t about spreading love, or embracing the aloha spirit either. It’s about sensationalism, harassment, and the creepy thinking of Gary Puniwale. The only bright spot in this whole situation is Gary’s incompetence. Even with the show’s popularity, I’m sure we’ll be able to take the cameras out of his hands, and out of Lahaina’s windows soon.”

Puniwale says that he doesn’t try to hide his past from viewers, but would rather focus on serious issues: like people failing to yield to oncoming traffic, or putting the island’s natural beauty in danger by littering, rather than his history with law enforcement.

“This is all about transparency. Those with nothing to hide, hide nothing. I ran into some trouble in my past trying to protect my friends and family. Maybe submitting over a thousand tips in a month was overzealous, and maybe I should have recognized the noises from my neighbor’s birthday party as laughter, instead of a home invasion and homicide in progress, but better safe than sorry. Those experiences did put me in a unique position to know the criminal mind better than most. For 90 days, I was forced to coexist in close quarters with criminals, and it gave me a special insight that I now share with my viewers. The mayor wants to throw stones and that’s fine. He should just know that throwing stones at someone is a crime in Lahaina, and I plan on reporting it daily starting at 8 a.m.”

STORYLINE

Lahaina Man Guided By VNN Traffic Drones Leads Police On High Speed Chase

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Lahaina Police arrested a motorist Thursday evening who ran through a traffic checkpoint on Lahainaluna Road, just East of the Lahaina bypass. Authorities had just closed part of the road due to flooding from the unusually heavy rains this week, when they observed a van approach. They say Craig Luahi, a 43-year-old Lahaina resident, drove up to the checkpoint at approximately 7:00 p.m. appearing agitated. Officers informed him that the road was closed, and he’d have to find an alternate route, but they say he disregarded their instructions and drove through the checkpoint “at a dangerously high rate of speed.” Police would chase Luahi for almost 2 hours through the rain, and over the trails of Lahaina, as he, and the public used VNN traffic drones to help him evade the authorities. Lauhi says he was just trying to get home to watch his favorite show.

With lights flashing and sirens blaring, officers chased Lauhi’s 2040 minivan as he sped East towards a group of county workers on the road attempting to flag him down. Witnesses say Craig shook his head, pointed up at a pair of VNN drones, and kept driving. The workers were forced to jump off the road to avoid being hit.

For the next 2 hours authorities chased Lauhi across most of Lahaina, and parts of the preservation zone, while he followed directions from the public, aided by VNN “Traffic Time” drones. From Front Street to the West, to Wahikuli Gulch, and South to Tanager Lane, Craig evaded capture driving though yards and down trails. He was eventually stopped when his van became stuck in mud while trying to cross Honokohau Ditch. Lauhi told authorities that he was sorry, but was just trying to get home and stream his favorite show.

“I just wanted to sit on my couch and binge on the next three episodes of “Meal Ticket.” They were debuting that night, and I had had a terrible day at work. I wanted to sit back and watch a bunch of people try to convince a billionaire that they’d make the perfect spouse over diner. You can always tell who’s given up by how much dessert they eat. Anyway, when I saw that my route home was closed I was devastated. I flipped on Traffic Time to see how many roads were closed and complain, when someone who lives on the other side of the roadblock said the road wasn’t completely washed out yet, and I could probably make it. I know I shouldn’t have, but I just really wanted to kick my feet up and settle in for the evening,” Lauhi told reporters.

“I watch Traffic Time a lot, especially on the weekends when downtown is packed with tourists. The real-time updates and user tips help me avoid the worst parts of town, and as it turns out, the police too. I couldn’t believe how helpful the users were, it was like they wanted me to watch those new episodes as badly as I did. They requested the drones move to areas I was approaching, and kept one on me at all times to help spot anything I missed. That allowed me to focus on my driving, which was good because they were leading me down some questionable routes. I eventually got stuck trying to jump a ditch in the van and the police caught me, which was probably best.”

Lauhi was charged with obstructing government operations, resisting an order to stop a motor vehicle, reckless driving, six counts of reckless endangering in the 2nd degree, and interacting with a Ceremplant stream while operating a motor vehicle. He was released on $50,750 bail this morning. However, many law enforcement officials claim that VNN is at least partially responsible for the incident, and are calling for new restrictions on the Traffic Time program.

Jake Tripper, VNN Vice President of Special Programming, says he was shocked to hear about the program’s involvement in the incident. “Traffic Time is about providing the hard working people of Lahaina with the fastest and most accurate information possible during their commute, and trips across the island. We are shocked and disappointed that our drones were used in such a dangerous way,” Tripper says. “We have always relied on the wisdom and speed of the crowd to help direct our drones, but it might be time to rethink those guidelines, as well as our policy to never delete forum comments. There’s always been some terrible things in there, but up until now it’s just been abhorrent, not criminal.”

For Lauhi’s part, he says he’s sorry, and has learned a valuable lesson.

“I apologize to: the police, everyone I put in danger last night, and everyone who’s property I might have damaged while fishtailing around Lahaina. I just got caught up in things. I’d also like to thank everyone on Traffic Time who tried to help me get home. We didn’t do the right thing, but it fills my heart with love to know that you would break the law, just to help a neighbor get home and watch his favorite show. The Aloha spirit is alive and well in Lahaina!”

STORYLINE

Veilcorp To Start Its Own News Service

Veilcorp has announced that it plans to start its own news service with reports and coverage specifically geared towards the corporation’s customers. Instead of traditional journalists, the service will rely on local “experts” and smart drones for all of its stories. Two pilot programs will start this week, one in Lahaina, and another in Seattle. Veilcorp says the new service will provide travelers with important local news, and offer a true look at the “unique atmosphere and vibe of our many destinations.”

Veilcorp is no stranger to exploring other various business opportunities, but the news business is different from its previous ventures. Veilcorp has had a complicated relationship with the media. Many accuse the company of having a cozy relationship with certain journalists, softening the coverage to some of the corporations more questionable decisions. None of those decisions was more controversial than the media ban following Eric Oeming’s return to Lahaina, after the terrorist attack that killed his wife, daughter, and employees.

With this kind of baggage, and an already saturated news market, one might wonder what would set Veilcorp’s news service apart from the crowd. According to Lahaina inventor Ano Lee, the answer is technology. “The news service will be using modified versions of my party drones, and will be integrated with the massive Glimpsea camera network,” says Lee. “My party drones were already designed to recognize: large groups of people, music, and lights, so I could find where the fun was happening on the weekend. We simply added cameras and the ability to set other targets of interest, whether those are areas, events, or specific objects and people. Now, Instead of sending back the GPS coordinates of the biggest parties on the island, the drones, with the help of the Glimpsea network, film whatever they have been assigned to cover.”

Veilcorp COO Lisa Hunt says that while the technology is cutting edge, the idea is quite simple, provide customers with a true understanding of the places and people that they are visiting. “Veilcorp, more than many other companies or organizations, is in a unique position to offer travelers the best local news available. We have a worldwide network, and a deep understanding of what travelers want. Numerous customer surveys have shown that people crave real-time and honest information about the places they are visiting. Our news service has no agenda other to inform our customers about the happenings, and important issues in their area. We use drones guided by local experts and contributors, to give veil travelers insight into the locals, and hear what issues are on their minds. Our goal is to offer great local news on a global scale.”

Some media outlets have scoffed at the idea of Veilcorp running a news service, and have questioned the credibility of any reports from citizen journalists and automated drones. A statement released from VeilWatch calls the proposed service, “One of the most dangerous propaganda tools ever devised, for the most dangerous organization the world has ever seen.” However, many, including people tapped as contributors, say the new service would offer a fresh, and much needed take on how local news operates, and what it covers.

Lahaina resident, and Veilcorp appointed expert John Driscol says he can’t wait to start his show, “Veil-Curious”. “They asked me to be in charge of Arts and Leisure. As everyone knows I’m a leisure expert. If you can’t find me relaxing on the beach, and counting waves, you can usually find me relaxing on another beach. I’m friends with numerous artists as well, so it seemed like a perfect fit. The best part of this service is the drones. I’ve never been in charge of something so simple. You just provide a few key activities, and specific things to look for to the techs. They load the information into the drones, and off they go. All you have to do is comment on what they capture. If you want to change up the coverage, you just assign new cues, and parameters. It’s really as simple as that. When Veil-Curious starts, people can look forward to lots of coverage of: tourists falling off paddle boards, beach bar reviews, and real-time tracking of that old guy who sells Italian ice from his cart. I really love that stuff, and he’s hard to find on the weekends.”

Veilcorp plans on officially launching the service on Friday, the 18th.

DEV

New Buildings and Dangers

We made a few audio improvements to compliment all of our recent map work this week. A number of weapons now have improved clicks, twangs, and booms. We’ve added some new character sounds such as crisper footfalls, and rustling while moving through the foliage. We have placeholder voices for NPCs and our monsters as well, although they need a bit of work yet. The trophy hunter’s battle cries sound like they’re trying to decide if attacking is worth the effort, and the NPC voices are reminiscent of something you’d hear listening to an audiobook on the way to work, but we plan on upgrading both soon.

Crafting improvements continue, with a number of ui upgrades. We made a number of drag and drop improvements, and squashed a bug that was offsetting where an item ended up in your inventory. Double clicking an item now brings up its detail page so all of its info is easily accessible. We added time estimates so you know how long your new weapon or part is going to take to build, and made a number of navigation enhancements too.

We’re still working on debugging our live Veil News Network (VNN) drone feed. However, you can still watch a previously recorded stream on the front page until it’s back in the air. We’re working on drone documentation as well, and hope to have the live camera making its rounds across the island again soon.

The latest “refurbish machine” concept drawings were presented in various configurations, states of disrepair, and colors. Designed to allow players to change colors and fix torn clothing and armor, the machine should be ready to go in the near future. We talked briefly about other types of finishing, polishing, and engraving we might include down the road.

Our monsters not only got new voices this week, they got two new types as well. We have individuals with ranged attacks to deal with snipers, and players trying to kite melee fighters into a killzone. We also have individuals who can feed on downed party members, and grow considerably tougher. This makes it important for players to stay together, and keep everyone healed up. We watched a short demo movie of both new types in action, and talked a bit about future iterations.

Jesse made a number of layout improvements to help players navigate across the webpage, and we worked on trails between points of interest in the game. We’re using an automated trail building system to integrate the already existing Lahaina roads, with the network of paths we need to keep players moving around the map. We’re aging and breaking the roads as we move section by section, populating the map.

With all the road work being done, the team continues to add buildings, and structures to explore. We fixed the bugs we ran into last week with the Thorcon Power Plant and it’s back in place. Here you can see it in the midday sun.Responsive image

The Lahaina Armory found a spot on the map too. We still need to add some weathering and some ground cover, but the wooden building will be open to the public soon, offering a good selection of weapons and ammo. Below you can see the front of the building.
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That’s all for this week. We’ll be back with more updates later.

DEV

Filling In the Map

As we close out sprint 24, the group is busy hunting down bugs, and adding finishing touches. We’ve been having some trouble with the Veil News Network’s (VNN) live broadcast on the front page crashing. We’ve identified the issue, and the team is putting in a fix that should keep the drone’s feed playing as it makes its way around the game map, highlighting key areas and capturing gameplay in real time. We’ve set a prerecorded fallback video in place as well, to ensure that the feed always displays a tour of post-fracture Lahaina, not static.

The web team fixed a few layout issues, and made some improvements to player and House cards. We worked on some icon improvements to make things look more consistent across the page, and made some animation improvements as well. Jesse completed the Paddle Creek Games bumper trailer, and it looks fantastic! He uploaded a version with audio last night, and the whole thing is a few iterations away from being ready to go.

The tech team is wrapping up the last of the weapon attachment bugs we discovered a few weeks ago. After fixing a really bad Aiming Down Sight (ADS) jiggle, we opened up a Pandora’s box of weapon add-on issues: bad sights, crooked scopes, and wrongly-sized attachments. We’ve worked through most of the problems, and just need to test the fixes in the game to work out the kinks.

Our 3rd loot drop scenario is finished, and ready for testing too. Players will have to take an item safely from one location to another, while being hounded by enemies, in order to claim valuable cash and prizes. If you think that sounds suspiciously like a quest, you’re right. We briefly discussed building on this to start a quest system in the very near future. Mindlessly rampaging through what’s left of Lahaina can be a very rewarding experience. However, there comes a time in everyone’s life, even a bloodthirsty gamer, when you long for some direction and purpose. Quests can help fulfill that need, even if it’s just bringing a bag of shark teeth, and some coffee to the armory in the morning without getting killed along the way.

Our monsters got a little smarter this week, as the team’s AI work continues. We are fixing a few of their battle tactics, and have added a bunch of new animations to make them, and their reactions look more realistic. We made some improvements to group play as well, including the ability to heal others in your party, and finding friends to fill out the ranks, or replace underperforming party members.

We made some crafting refinements, and are working out some drag and drop, and stacking issues. The HUD got a few ui tweaks, and layout updates to make it more helpful, and easier to use. We’ve fixed some lingering problems with the rain, and are working on the fog to make look better now.

Lastly, one of our biggest projects recently has been redoing the game map. We’ve stripped the whole thing, and started to rebuild the play area using topography data to make it look and feel as real as possible. We’ve finished importing the roads around Lahaina, and have replaced the foliage with more native plants, improving both performance and look. This week we’re clearing out the areas where our buildings and ruins will go, and started work on adding the effects of a global catastrophe to the roads and paths in the game area. If all goes as planned, we’ll start adding buildings next week, and filling out the map with key areas, and places to explore. Below you can see a bird’s eye view of the play area as it stands now.

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DEV

Lighting the Night and Making a Perfect Wave

After the holiday weekend, the art team started off the week with a bunch of environmental and audio improvements across Lahaina. We’ve added new sounds to a number of our wild places, as well as areas filled with ruins, and the remains of civilization. The ocean is looking good in the game currently, and we talked about various ways to make it look even better, without going too far down the “realistic wave action” rabbit hole. We want the water to act and look real, but we’re not making a reef diving simulation game.

Our Veil News Network (VNN) drones got a few refinements too. The first pass on the drone HUD is complete, but we plan on organizing the information displayed a bit differently, to make it easier and more intuitive to read. Watching the live stream the camera provides is a great way to see what’s going on across the island, and get a good look at our unique structures and landmarks.

We talked over some potential user flow issues on the upcoming player portal section of the web page. Jesse showed off some new wireframes demonstrating how players would be able to quickly navigate to the more game-important sections of the page. We’re updating to the latest versions of Webpack and React, as well as doing some refactoring work too.

We discussed crafting mechanics at some length this week. How to avoid playing inventory Tetris while crafting, adjusting cool down times, heading off potential abuses, learning recipes, and rewarding players who want to experiment, were all on the table. We worked through a few different resource harvesting issues, and Chris bemoaned the fact that little rocks tend to give the same amount of resources as large ones, when you beat on them with a pickaxe. We plan on adjusting a few things so that big rocks will now produce resources according to their ability, to fulfill player needs.

Our materials and foliage improvements continue, not only to make things look better, but to improve performance. We’re starting a massive foliage review across the island, filling in open spaces to make them look more in line with a world that has been untouched by civilization for decades. We plan on removing some of the old forests, and adding updated plants, with more native species, to make the landscape look more authentic.

Our lighting and weather work moved forward with impressive results this week. We talked about adjusting ambient light levels, and the brightness of the moon and stars at night. The team talked over the problems with making a light bright enough to stand out as a beacon from far away, without making it impossible to sneak around when a player is close. We want some of our large structures to be easily seen at a distance, but we don’t want to eliminate a players ability to stealthily move through the foliage at night.

We are wrapping up the latest pass of detail work in our large buildings. The Veil Station, Thorcon Power Plant, and Communication Tower are all getting some attention. Below you can see the current state of that effort in conjunction with our lighting work. The Communication Tower is looking amazing at night.
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That’s all for now. We’ll be back next week with more updates.

DEV

Blue Skies and Deep Mines

To wrap up the week, we’re making some minor adjustments to the Veil News Network (VNN) drone camera. Showing off major structures, and points of interest in real time inside the game, the VNN live stream is a great way to see what’s left of Lahaina, and what’s happening around the game world. Our first pass on the drone HUD is complete, and is looking good. We talked a bit about future view options with things like infrared or low light, and adding different bits of information to the HUD as the drone makes its rounds flying above the island.

We talked about a few new items that we could add to the merchandise selection down the road, a number of different Manimal products in particular. This led to a discussion about the current state of crafting in the game. We talked over ways players could learn new recipes, and the possibility of rewarding those who like to experiment on the crafting bench. In a related topic, we’re adding more recycling options to items in the game. Currently, when you’re done drinking a beverage, you can recycle the can for a small amount of metal. We plan on increasing that list this week, so players will be able to reuse a number of objects for basic materials. However, we still have no plans to allow players to recycle troublesome House members for their meat. We’re not monsters.

Our spawn area is getting some attention. We’re adding the finishing touches, and discussed leaving a few more survival items lying around, to give players a reasonable chance of making it on the surface. We’re adding some audio support to the area, as well as other spots across the map. Soon players will be able to enjoy the sound of buoys softly clanging in the waves, while being chased down the beach.

We looked at some concept art of the entrance of our cave area, and talked about what and who we’d like to add to the upcoming spelunking spot. We continue to make progress on AI work. We’d like to give the unfortunate creatures twisted by the fracture, a fair shot at taking down players with sound tactics and battle strategies, instead of charging in straight lines to their doom. We’re expanding the mutant loot lists as well, so you never know what things you’ll find on them other than really old lint, shiny bits of plastic, and strips of chewed meat.

We continued our work on Team play too. We’re wrapping up any lingering bugs with our loot drop scenarios, (currently we’re having some AI troubles. The waves of enemies who are supposed to test the defenses of players in one scenario, tend to walk around like they are at a meet and greet, instead of charging the gates and breaking down doors.) and we’re finishing up the Team ui soon. We ran into a couple stamina related bugs that we should have fixed soon. Right now, a player’s stamina doesn’t regen properly if they are crouched or prone.

Lastly, we’re doing a complete materials review across the game. We’re stripping out all the remaining placeholder foliage for performance issues, and making sure it is replaced with the correct plants. We continue our lighting and weather improvements too. We’re adjusting the ozone to allow the blue skies to be a bit more blue, and make the stars shine a bit brighter at night. Below you can see just how good the morning sun looks in the game.
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That’s all for this week. We’ll be back later with more updates and screenshots.