BrightRidge HD Ok, I just had to log in to comment. I purchased the original BrightRidge way back at the beginning. Love the whole exploration thing. I have an iPad Air and this new version runs very well on the default settings. I love the flexibility on the settings. I saw some conversations about eventually being able to save your settings, did I get that right? Anyway, thanks for the tip on disabling bloom to get Rid of the white artifacts. It gets rid of about 95% of the issue. There are still a few artifacts without bloom, but they are much smaller. Maybe a couple of pixels here and there. On the whole lockup thing upon initial load: the first time I started the program it did take a LONG time to get past the brightridge logo screen, it did not lock up though. Maybe it does not really lock up? Not sure about that... After that first time it is now pretty quick for the most part. Don't know if that helps any. So far I have only just started my exploring, all I have right now is the butterfly for shape change. Quests will be very welcome, hopefully it won't detract from the pure exploring vibe. That's why I originally purchased this by the way... Looking forward to dropping in again tonight and discovering more stuff!
Settings Don't think you can save settings. I thought I saw a comment saying it was being worked on. Not sure anymore though...
Thank you drh1961 - you said a lot of wonderful things I like how you describe the quests as exploring vibe - i think it sums up nicely the approach they should take and ive made a note of it as an inspirational description. Your feedback does help - I think there is 2 issues, one where the game crashes at splash in you have a newer IOS and you hold the device "upside down", and the other is a long initial load time, which i think is caused because i am prebaking some code at the start, instead of during the game. Im looking into it, but if the prebaking is better for performance then i will leave that as is. For settings, you should be able to save them in the next update
Right now, bloom works way better if you have depth of field on. Then the white artifacts look like actual light reflection. There isn't varying degrees of intensity depending upon the surface that is being reflected off of, but it still looks more natural with depth of field turned on. But in the update, Protopop is adjusting things I believe. But every time I fire it up, I enjoy the bloom!
Best case, id submit it in a couple of weeks to the app store. I had to take some time to fugure out if i was going to switch development to a newer version of Unity, the software i make the game in. After running a lot of tests ive just decided im going to stick with the current version for now because it's a known quantity. That means giving up some updates for now, but things like saving the settings, which is one of the most requested features after the quests, are pretty starightforward, so i should be able to get them in, along with a few new updates for the 1.1 version. Im also taking care of my mom at the moment after surgery, so theres the indie dev factor where i have to find time between my 9 to 5 and other commitments. But BrightRidge is something ive been working on pretty much nonstop for the last year and a half (with a pause to release Zymbols and Nimian Legends : Empires) so i wont stop now
Thanks you - That's good to know. The super great bloom i was talking about might not make it into the next update - see the post above for details about some technical decisions - because i need a newer version of unity. But they are ready when i am ready to upgrade and in the meantime i can still check out some of the third pary bloom effects on the asset store and see if any are better than the standard unity bloom im using now. But either way the next update should let you save your settings so it will be bloom on or bloom off all the time depending on your preference
Oh my god. The contrast with bloom works great. Look's like I'm playing on a console tbh. Been messing with the graphics options, and I think I may have found a sweet spot. Resolution set to low with grass on ultra, terrain on low, shadows all 3 options on ultra. Reflections, water particles, FX and sun shafts enabled. All this and it still gives me about 12-16fps with minimal lag on my IPAD AIR!
ooo looks beautiful Its pretty cool to see you enjoying the options. I like messing around with them too, seeing the different atmosphere I can create. Thats why im looking forward to adding in Mood presets, kind of settings packs that will set different moods with the push of a button. For me its far, lush grass and far shadows (any resolution) that make the world most believable to me. Whats cool is that starting with todays newest devices you can pretty much put everything on or close to max, and it will only get more detailed from here. BTW i have been working on the first update and it has a new interactive realtime map you can pan and scroll through, a fast travel option is also in the works, and a new terrain - the same as before but with subtle erosion and ridges added to that every area has a touch more realism to it. I think it looks really great.
Realtime map? Sounds good for sure. Me, I am still playing around a lot with the settings. Just too much fun to see the same scene in different lighting etc. Quite often I switch the trees off, so I can actually see anything And I climbed the Terrapin ... blown away. What an experience. I took screenshots, and notes to finally get a travel log going; will post something next week. UPDATE: Quite a few screenshots actually, way too many for a forum post. Robert, how about I send them to you, you pick the ones you like best and drop them on your homepage? Oh, and the TA bot picked up BR-free: http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=285046 @Proto: If you prefer to only have one thread, you can ask a mod to close it. And question: do you have lore for those huge stoneblocks - some of them carved even - lying around (like the one just a bit forward and to the right from the starting point)? I talked to a certain historian, and he is wondering why he couldn't find anything in his scrolls I like the German word for them a lot better https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Findling . "Glacial erratics" sounds so ... mundane.
Thanks for checking in. Its going Pretty good. I had tested some new versions of Unity that have some great new featires like Apple TV support, better Bloom and more, but there were a bunch of bugs, so after a lot of testing i decided to stick with the original version i am using. The good news is that updates are going quickly because i know my way around the current project file very well. I was able to complete a bunch of updates in the last 2 days and have a few more i want to finish. My schedule is a bit spotty because i also need to work my day job and take care of my mother, and there was a birthday in all that (i'm 44 now) so i can't give any exact dates but i am definitely working steady on this and i hope you upload the update sometime next week Im also very happy because i have finished the outline for most of the quests - I can tell you it's a story of friendship and sacrifice, and im really happy with it. It will be part of the 1.2 Update. Here's some of the updates: BrightRidge Free version 1.6 I uploaded a small update to the original BrightRidge to the app store. It went live on Tueasday and is available now. Its basically just renamed BrightRidge Free so that people know there is a non free version, and it has links to the hd version. BrightRidge HD version 1.1 features (next update) Completed: Improved Bloom effect - should get rid of the white highlights More detailed terrain with erosion and ridges make it the same but more realistic and varied New realtime map - the camera now zooms out like the Skyrim map Arrow compass - floating arrow system that points towards your next objective, useless right now but implemented anyways because it will be used heavily in teh Quest update New Puddle system for more flexibility in placing puddles on terrain Global Fig and Distance fog density can now be independently set Global fig is on by default now and moved to ATMOSPHERE options Separate global fog setting depending on time of day for fine tuned visuals Added TERRAIN QUALITY settings in OPTIONS, when on ultra you can see more detail in distant mountains Heavy memory optimizations to improve performance Upgraded road system lets me add forest paths and more (several new roads in te update) Fairy Circles - they enchant you to dance when you enter them, from a fairy book i loved when i was a kid, harmless now but eventually they will drain your energy Remaining to do in 1.1 Fast Travel on Map Saving quality settings - this is more complicated than i thought so it might not make it int this update First Person view Remove joystick in spirit view Fix bug with animals continually walking after exiting a ViewDot Then i will upload it to the app store I also have some really great updates in store for the quests and a final 1.4 update that will be the "end" of the game production. So far Ive sold about 200 copies so i hope once the quests and the rest are in that i can sell a few more. If i can sell enough i will keep on making games from the Nimian Legends world, otherwise I'll need to rethink my future plans since i have to make a living. I still really enjoy working on BrightRidge though and im excited for the quests update. Here are a few pics as well.
That's really cool about the BrightRidge Free thread - ill head over there in a minute Thanks for the scoop. Sometimes i miss out on things and hear about it second hand and im grateful people are keeping me up to date. I love speaking with people about the games because i just gain so much insight. I'd love to post any pics you have. I dont ave rally a dedicated place to do it so i could post them here and/or on my Facebook page, or maybe i can setup some kind of dedicated page for it. Im sure though there must be an already made service i can leverage to share pics. ill think it through. The Terrapin is getting a big upgrade for the quests also. I posted a bunch of information in the post above about what ive been working on. The Findlings is a really cool name. It's like if you add "ling" to anything and it sounds very fantasy (Beware the entling, the wolfling, the gelfling)...I like seeing these real world links because honestly some of the best ideas come from reality. The Barbarian Heads were originally placed y the Igri in protest and as counterpoint to the Libertesse statues that dot the land, which themselves replaced even earlier Igri statues in an attempt to foster favor for the newer religion Man im such a geek!
Bought today. Excellent work. Is there an "optimal" setting scheme that people are using on and iPad Air? I'd like to tweak it for best look and still maintain 20-30 fps if possible. Should I just leave the default when I launch? I like playing with the settings but would like to get the most out of my Air.
Thanks for the support ashmike3 I hope you like the game. There are some new features coming in updates 1.1 (april) and quests coming in update 1.2 (may/june) I set custom settings for each device but i was more on the conservative side, so you can probably increase the defaults. I am working also on saving your quality choices so they will be there each time you start (right now you have to put them in each time) I don't know exactly what settings will be best - it depends on your preferences Here's what i can suggest: If you want a prettier game: Increasing the grass detail and distance, and leaving low res shadows (which look pretty good) with a far distance are the things i find make the game look most immersive Turn on global fog, especially at sunset i find it makes things look really atmospheric. It will be on by default in the next update, and in the update it is also fine tuned for each time of day - right now i find global fog looks best at sunset and is too thick other times of day OPTIONS>PLAYGROUND>EFFECTS>GLOBAL FOG Motion blur can make things look very cinematic when you move, but uses a lot of cpu (see below) OPTIONS>PLAYGROUND>EFEFCTS>MOTION BLUR If you want to increase performance The things that increase performance most are: Turning off reflections (off by default for air) OPTIONS>PLAYGROUND>EFFECTS>REFLECTIONS decreasing grass density OPTIONS>PLAYGROUND>GRASS Using low shadow quality (on by default for air) OPTIONS>PLAYGROUND>SHADOWS Changing resolution to low OPTIONS>PLAYGROUND>RESOLUTION Things that increase CPU usage most: Turning on Depth of Field OPTIONS>PLAYGROUND>EFFECTS Turning on Motion Blur OPTIONS>PLAYGROUND>EFFECTS Turning on Reflections OPTIONS>PLAYGROUND>EFFECTS Using anything on ultra will kill most devices. some of the higher settings are there to future proof the game so feel free to try them but If you set things too high it might crash. If that happens just restart and it will continue where you left off. I hope you will keep an eye out for the update and im really glad you purchased BrightRidge
Perfect. Thanks for the reply. I read about the coming update, sounds great. Your game is fantastic. Tried to upload a nice screen shot but having issues with the upload so I'll try later.
Yeah, i really like the new erosion and ridges in the terrain. It just adds these kind of subtle ups and downs and the new forest paths go through some really nice spots. When im able to upgrade to Unity 5.3 (ive done it internally but its too buggy to deliver yet) youll see some really impressive new vegetation effects, detail and lighting. I'd like to get the 1.1 update (bug fixes and extra features) out in April, and the quests depends on how quickly im able to turn the stories into the game mechanics - ive been preparing for it for a long time so i am hoping all the preparation will help the process - id like to have the quests ready in May (which in my experience means June). The final update will be 1.4 which will add in some extra mechanics and polish that i felt I could leave until the end. Here's a few update pics You can set the terrain quality now. Currently you can only see low quality. With ultra quality you can see individual ridges in the distance. Ignore the floating log - the new terrain effects have SLIGHTLY rshaped the landscape so i need to hand adjust some objects to fit There's a new ingame map that is realtime with some fast travel buttons Global Fog is now on by default. Here ive increased both distance and global fog and Sunlight to most bright with no ambient light. You can get a lot of different looks
