Status

[Haxus]

As you can see I did not post an update this week. Here is where things are at. 

Steam Workshop

The Steam Workshop integration is complete. I learned more about the workshop in the process. Here is how it works, which contradicts my previous statements, sorry. 

Publish - Uploads your blueprint to Steam. 

Unpublish - Deletes your blueprint from Steam. Cancels all current subscriptions to the blueprint.

Subscribe - Downloads a blueprint from Steam, including your own. Keeps your local copy in sync with changes to the blueprint on Steam. I think a Steam based micro transaction is triggered if the item is monetized. 

Unsubscribe - Stops keeping your local copy in sync with the Steam blueprint. Does not remove it from the local library or exchange. 

Note that there is no current way to update or change a published blueprint so there won’t be any syncing. Also monetizing and micro transactions have not been implemented in the game. I may not have to do anything more in the code. This may be entirely handled by Steam. It’s been a low priority so I just don’t know much about it yet.

Once downloaded, nothing causes your local copy to be removed from the library. Existing ships and buildings are unaffected by unsubscribing. This could change once I figure out how returns of monetized items are handled.  

If you restore a previous game or start a new game, subscribed blueprints are restored, unless they have been unpublished and no longer exist on Steam. That may be incorrect because Steam caches blueprints that have been downloaded. Your own blueprints can be restored by loading a .SoH file or by subscribing them in the Steam workshop. 

Game Startup Data File

I am reconstructing a file that contains data the mmo client used to get from the servers, mainly the initial spacecraft and building libraries and exchanges. 

The file used to be created using an sql query on the mmo database. Since that is no longer available, I had to do a little coding to enable the solo client to construct the data. 

The spacecraft library and exchange have been reconstructed and published to Steam. 

The building library starts with 82 blueprints so it will take a day or two to rebuild it. I have all the SoH files so that part is easy.

I added a feature to the finalize dialogs so you can pick the preview image from a file and it can be a lot bigger. I’ll need to preview each blueprint in the designer and get a screen grab, which will take a little extra time. 

When that is done I will post an update. Likely to be some day this week.

[Systemicyco]

Is the workshop even accessible right now for Starship? Does it not require that you declare the game in development and release it to be looked-up/wish-listed to activate the steam community features that ultimately lend to workshop?

More concise question: Is workshop only implemented in the code or is it implemented on the steam front end? I ask because I'm not seeing anything from starship on the steam frontend.

[Rockinsince87]

Nice progress!

Really looking forward to this update.

[Haxus]

Steam side is hidden until release. You can get to it through the game.

[Vooker525]

Since size limits were increased, is it possible to add bump map support for building and spacecraft textures?

[Haxus]

Bump map support is possible. It is not something that will be done before the release.

[Deantwo]

Steam Workshop

It all sounds pretty awesome. I do have something I am a little confused about.

Are you saying that when we publish a blueprint in-game it would automatically be uploaded to the Steam Workshop? Or are we going to actually upload the .soh files to the Steam Workshop using Steam's normal interface?

It will likely all make a lot more sense once we can see and try it. I just worry about you maybe overcomplicating it a little.

And of course we have all talked about how much we would love to be able to share stories on the Steam Workshop too, if you ever make a new version on the story editor for Hazeron.

[Haxus]

The interface to the workshop is handled entirely through the exchanges (building and spacecraft).

You publish your design to the local exchange. That establishes the terms.

You publish your designs in the exchange to the workshop. That uploads the file to the workshop.

When you query the workshop, special items are added to the exchange. Select one of these items to see the preview image and design report, just like local designs. Then you can subscribe to it to download the file.

[Rockinsince87]

That's very seamless. Well done.

[Deantwo]

The interface to the workshop is handled entirely through the exchanges (building and spacecraft).

Definitely more advanced than I thought it was going to be. It sounds interesting and probably a better solution than what I was thinking.

I thought it would just be using Steam's own Workshop interface to upload files and subscribe to the files, then have the Hazeron client detect the downloaded files in a specific folder on start up. But of course, that Is just what I am used to for other games where they use the Steam Workshop as a way to download mods and user created game-levels.

My only concern with the solution you describe is offline support. Remember since it is a singleplayer game, some players would like to be able to play it without an internet connection.