Hey everyone!

I wanted to briefly go over the newly added account system and how you can expect to experience the first steps in entering the alpha.

Alpha account setup process

1.) The first step into acquiring an alpha key will be to visit the alpha website (we will provide a link upon the alpha release). Here you will enter your Kickstarter account email. Please use this time prior to the alpha release to check/update your account info on Kickstarter. This will make the process much smoother for you all and us! 

2.) After entering your email, you will receive a message with your list of key(s) as well as a download link for the launcher. Share the link with anyone you give a key to so they can download it as well!

3.) After downloading the launcher you will be presented with a log in screen where you can register a key.

 4.) After filling in all of the fields and clicking "Next" a message will be sent to the provided email with an activation link. This is to verify that the email is valid before marking the key used as "used". Keys can only be registered one time. After the link is clicked your account is made!

 5.) Log in with the account you just created.

 6.) If there are any updates our built in patching system will notify you and guide you through installing them as well as provide you with the latest patch notes.

 7.) After all the latest updates have been downloaded the game will automatically install/restart your game. Now you are ready to play!

 8.) At any time during game play you experience a bug or have a suggestion that would improve Roam, you may click the submission form button and enter feedback. This will submit a new bug to our tracker. Anyone with an alpha account will also automatically have a bug tracking account made. The link to the bug tracker will be available on alpha launch.

Now that we have all of that out of the way...Video update

In this video update I go over the generator/fuel/electricity system in Roam. I plan to expand further on this system to allow more structures, but this should give everyone a general idea.

 Alpha is coming soon! Promise!

Alpha is getting closer

As we get closer to releasing an Alpha I wanted to share how the process is going to work. 

We are working on the account/patching system for the alpha. This account system is only for the alpha. We will send instructions on how to obtain the launcher and key once we are ready. If your reward tier has multiple keys you will receive multiple alpha access keys.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR KICKSTARTER EMAIL IS UP TO DATE. VERIFYING YOUR KEY REQUIRES YOUR KICKSTARTER EMAIL. 

We plan to distribute the launcher through private means. Only Kickstarter backers will have access to the alpha. The reason for this is - after we are able to get all of you testing the game/giving feedback/suggestions we will work towards a Steam Greenlight campaign. 

I believe, and I am sure many of you do to, that a first impression is very important. Through this process we wish to increase our chances of making a great early access experience.

Recent additions to the game:

- Enemy AI (Vision radius, sound mechanics, "horde follow")

- Enemy combat

- Friendly AI(Basic Commands)

- Wildlife AI

- AI Navigation and Pathfinding

- Tweaked ranged aiming (pistols/rifles) and melee combat (fist/melee weapons)

- Generators/Flood light/Batteries/Fuel Consumers (Featured in next video)

- Error system ("Not enough resources", "Too far away", etc)

 Additions to the game that are currently being implemented:

- Finalizing vehicle behavior (Siphon fuel/repairing parts/replacing parts)

- Traps (zombie/hostile npc and wildlife)/explosives/ more base building structures

- Friendly Survivor behaviors (group behaviors)

- Patch system for alpha

- Login system for alpha

- Launcher

- Networking

- Serialized world map (Allows for a random map to be shared over the network after it is generated)

This video is a followup to the previous combat update. I've spent some time working out the kinks. Still needs a little work but I really like how its coming along.

Hey everyone!

Just a real brief update on whats going on.

I spent the last day or so trying to dial in the day/night cycle as well as experimenting with different types of foliage for the environment. The biggest switch was going from a mesh terrain (a flat box) to actual terrain with slight variations in height and more control over the ground textures.

The main reason I stuck with a mesh terrain for so long was my worry about the world tiles showing up as tiled and my worry about integrating varied height in the tile based world generator we have set up. Personally the tiling breaks my immersion in some games when I can recognize patterns. The image below is an example of where 4 tiles meet. I cant see any seams!

Another "first implementation" : Water. I've added the very first small pond to the world. The purpose it serves is to provide dirty, contaminated water that you should probably filter and purify before drinking. It looks a little murky.

The ponds will also be an active area for animals. Thats right, hunting. We are really close (couple of days) to implementing the first AI and then we'll get some zombies/critters running around in the world. That, plus the recently added combat system should provide some interesting results.

Speaking of the combat system, I went through and removed the other two targeting systems so now it is strictly free-aim. Doing that alone really made things feel a lot smoother. I'm pretty sure the 3 were conflicting with each other at the time of the video. I also went through and smoothed the gun play a bit so it isn't so choppy.

Its coming along, slowly but surely!