Finally, after releasing our new game, we have some time in our hands and are able to release this new update for Planetbase to the experimental branch.
We've tested this version extensively, and savegames should be compatible with old versions but we ask you to please backup your saves before installing this, saves are here: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Planetbase\Saves
To download this version, in the Steam client, in the library, right click on Planetbase, then select Properties > Betas, then in Beta Participation select Experimental.
Intro
Planetbase was initially developed in 2015, using Unity 5, this update brings is up to date to Unity 2022.3, which is the latest stable. This brings a ton of compatibility and graphics upgrades.
This was an arduous task, as the old graphics pipeline no longer exists, so we had to redo some of the graphics code and update the assets.
Main Changes
- Game now uses Unity 2022.3, which is the latest stable (up from 5.0.4). This provides improved compatibility for modern systems, people with dual screen setups and more.
- The game now uses Physically Based Rendering, this is a better lighting model compared to the old Blinn-Phong system that 1.3.8 used. Terrains and structures look glossier and nicer, more in line with how Dawn of Man looks.
Changelist
- Now using the Deferred rendering instead of Legacy Deferred.Legacy Deferred renderer is no longe available, this changes the appearence of the game slightly, but we've tweaked the materials in the game to match the original renderer as much as possible.
- Terrain, structures and objects now use PBR lighting. They look nicer and have better specular reflections.
- Increased detail draw distance and terrain LOD quality across the board. Terrain now looks better and you see more objects at a distance.
- Redone all flares using ProFlares. Old school Unity flares don't work properly anymore, so had to recreate them. This includes the Suns in title screen and game as well as Landing Pad flares. Results are not identical, but new flares look arguably better.
- Reworked fog. Old school fog doesn't work anymore. This now uses a fullscreen effect, results are virtually identical to before for terrain, and better for Buildings and Characters, as they pick the proper horizon color.
- Fixed issue with icons when playing at 4K resolutions. Icons now upscale properly in resolutions higher than 1920x1080.
- Tweaked lights and environment parameters in all planets. This is to make sure the planets retain the same vibe as before, as the new lighting system produces different results.
- Increased shadow distance and quality overall. Shadow maps now use higher res textures and render further.
- Removed support for GUI Layout. This saves per frame memory allocations.
- Removed specific shaders for Low quality setting. It now uses the same shaders as the rest of the quality settings.
- The game now detects high end systems and defaults quality to "High"
- Updated to latest SteamWorks API.
- Tweaks to loading screens.
Let us know what you think. Do you light the new lighting? This is update solve or cause any issues for you?
Thank you everyone for your support, and for making this possible!
Martiño.
