Dev Log 5
Intro
Off the heels of our new Domino Roadmap, which outlines the next 12-18 months, it’s safe to say the Wilders are back. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, give it a read here. If you have read it and think it’s far too ambitious for any group of mortals to accomplish, think again. The following Dev Log outlines what the team has accomplished in only 6 weeks from our previous Wilder World Dev Log.
Midnight in Wiami Closed Alpha v0.2.0
Today marks the launch of Wilder World v0.2.0, which focuses on Midnight in Wiami, our biggest development milestone yet. A key moment on the path to public launch. This release will feature a cohort of hundreds of testers. In recognition of our valued asset holders, participants are required to hold 1 or more Wilder World NFTs. If you're a Wilder and keen to step into Little Meow, please sign up here.
NDAs will NOT be required. We encourage Wilders to share their experiences through images, videos, and social media streams.
Our strategy has been to make Wilder World next-gen, positioning us for the next wave in photorealism, large-scale concurrency and GPU technology. While currently tailored to those who have the hardware to run it, our intention is to make Wilder World highly accessible over time, especially as the cost of hardware decreases. As part of Operation Domino we will be announcing a key GPU streaming partner soon, that will bring Wilder World to the browser, and make it highly accessible across a wide range of machines.
To ensure diverse testing across performance thresholds, we are allowing some players to join with lower system requirements and therefore encourage those who don’t quite meet the requirements to fill out the application Typeform for review.
MIW Closed Alpha v0.2.0 Minimum System Requirements:
CPU: 6-core Intel processor
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 3080
RAM: 32 GB ram
OS: Windows 10 or 11
Must have an email address registered with Epic Games
Wilders who meet the requirements will receive an email with further instructions.
What To Expect
As part of the $WILD token economy outlined in Dev Log 1, future iterations of MIW will incorporate blockchain integration for purchasing fuel and Nitrous Oxide Systems (NOS). Wilder World v0.2.0, will feature unrestricted access to fuel and NOS at no cost, in order to test top up feature functionality. Although Win-to-Earn $WILD rewards will not be featured in this current iteration, it will be introduced in a subsequent release.
MIW Race Tracks
Two new race tracks have been added to v0.2.0. These tracks travel within the boundaries of the original MIW track, Nine Lives.
The Nine Lives circuit has undergone significant improvements, not only in its overall surroundings but also in key points along the high pass section.
The newly introduced Lunar Lane, is a challenging counter-clockwise track characterized by a rapid succession of turns. With limited overtaking opportunities on short straights, this circuit places substantial pressure on the car’s handling capabilities.
The Meridian Surge, is characterized by the longest straight in Midnight in Wiami. Cars can achieve speeds exceeding 150 mph, and with the added boost from NOS can reach speeds surpassing 180 mph. This creates an exciting opportunity for close racing and overtaking, however caution is required with an extended braking distance at the end of the straight.
Entering the Game
Upon entering the game, Wilders will discover a fresh track selection interface, featuring the three available tracks. Beneath track selection, new Fuel and NOS level indicators are accompanied by + icon, to top up both resources before starting a race. It’s crucial to ensure that levels are replenished to maximize NOS speed boosts and prevent fuel depletion during a race.
On the left side, within the Personal Stats section, users will find newly integrated Car and Track filters, enabling the display of best lap time, best race time, and total wins. The upgraded Leaderboard can also be filtered with these variables. Finally, underneath the Leaderboard is a novel rewards Rewards area. Further details about this feature will be unveiled in a future release.
Racing
Our latest update introduces a host of new features to enhance your racing experience:
HUD Driving Assist Notifications System: Our Head-Up Display notification system provides clear indications on when to start braking before a challenging turn, helping both new and experienced drivers. Improvements have also been made to the appearance and timing of turning arrow notifications
Improved Car Handling: While the cars remain the same, their stance on the road and handling capabilities have been greatly improved. With increased stability at all speeds, improved grip and directionality at high speeds, improved front-end grip under heavy braking, and enhanced performance on uneven terrain, our cars are now even more exciting to race!
NOS Implementation: Need for speed? The NOS addition provides approximately 40 seconds of high-powered acceleration at the press of a button. Use it strategically for swift acceleration out of a slow corner, or to execute an overtaking maneuver when your opponent least expects it.
Fuel Consumption Implementation: Fuel consumption is now part of our vehicle physics. Make sure to start your race with the correct amount of fuel to avoid untimely stops on the track.
Better Multiplayer Experience: Our netcode has been greatly improved for a smoother multiplayer experience. Close races and collisions now exhibit greater stability, minimizing or entirely eliminating rubber-banding.
Core Development
In this cycle, core development focused on three main areas to enhance the gaming experience in three key areas:
Regional Server Deployment To improve performance and reduce latency, we've localized our server infrastructure across three key regions: Asia Pacific (Sydney), US East (N. Virginia), and Europe (Frankfurt). This regional distribution will significantly improve ping rates and connection stability for players worldwide, with a new drop-down menu on the login page for region selection.
Network Optimization and Player Experience We've optimized our network for smoother gameplay, reducing latency and addressing persistent rubber-banding issues. Players can expect a more responsive experience, even with higher pings exceeding 120 ms.
Server Infrastructure Optimization Our team is actively optimizing the server infrastructure by transitioning to next generation virtual machines. This will provide substantial improvements in computing resources, memory, and latency, resulting in a more efficient and responsive gameplay experience.
In addition to these improvements, we're excited to introduce several new features and enhancements to Wilder World:
Gamepad Support: Navigate through menus, settings, matchmaking and racing segments with your gamepad, offering a seamless gaming experience.
NOS (Nitrous Oxide Systems) Implementation: Input the amount of NOS you wish to use on the lobby page before races, with a captivating particle effect for added excitement.
Fueling System: Manage fuel reserves from the lobby page, adjusting consumption for optimal performance with a user-friendly UI indicator.
Racing Setup Management: Efficiently handle and manage racing elements like checkpoints and barricades, streamlining track creation and offering scalability for future races.
Wilder News Section: Stay updated with the latest news by clicking on the "Wilder News Section" in the lobby page, directing you to the Zine.
Bug Reporting: Report bugs swiftly by clicking on the "Report the Bug" button, directing you to the MIW testers channel in our Discord community.
Matchmaking by Racing Track: Select your preferred race track before entering solo or multiplayer modes, ensuring you're matched with compatible race types.
Leaderboard Improvements: Filter Leaderboard data by car type and racing track, providing greater control and customization options for a personalized experience.
We're committed to continually refining and enhancing the Wilder World experience, and we're excited to bring these improvements to our players. Stay tuned for more updates and developments!
World
The World team's goal is to immerse players more deeply in a dynamic and engaging gaming experience, where personalization and enhancement of assets are key. In this development cycle, our main focus was on creating the 'Neon Pistons' Mechanics Shop, a hub where players can customize the attributes and visuals of their Wheels in a sleek and immersive environment.
We wanted to ensure that the Mechanics Shop not only serves its functional purpose but also enhances the overall player experience, adding depth and richness to the Wilder World.
Significant sweeping updates have been made to the newest MIW build, to update buildings and their plot placements, add variation to current types of structures and improve set dressing distributions. Our primary challenge was designing a densely packed level that seamlessly integrates into various building structures across the map. A diverse new range of player perspective props have been created, including skybridges, terminals, set dressing and signage. While some will debut in the upcoming release, the majority are scheduled for integration over the coming months.
In a broader context, emphasis has been placed on expediting the development process, to achieve significant progress in less time. We are creating new sets of environment and building kits to expand the diversity of structures across Wiami, incorporating the ambiance and essence of Wiami's clean white architecture, with the customary artistic flair. Once created, assets are transferred to the procedural team for integration into HDA tools, enabling rapid population of multiple areas.
In Wilder World, our Modular Kit Process is a meticulous balance of creativity and precision:
Architectural Vision: We define the style and theme, blending real-world architecture with mechanical intricacies, ensuring every detail serves a purpose, making our world more immersive.
Strategic Planning: We meticulously plan the use of each modular piece, considering the structure's needs and elements required for a cohesive design.
Inspiration from Everywhere: We gather references from various sources, from injection mould patterns to car factory robotics, infusing our designs with practical, realistic details.
Block Out the Basics: Starting with basic blockouts or using MOI3D, we establish the scale and layout of our architectural pieces, laying the foundation for our world's structures.
Modular Kit Design: We identify reusable components like walls, floors, and windows, ensuring alignment for consistency and easy integration within Unreal Engine.
Detailed 3D Modeling: We create detailed 3D models based on the initial hero design module, ensuring each asset fits seamlessly into our world.
Efficient UV Mapping: We unwrap 3D models to create UV maps, optimizing texture space for high-quality 4k/2k maps without blurring, enhancing the visual fidelity of our world.
Crafting with Substance: Using Substance Painter, we create and apply materials, adding depth and realism to our assets, before exporting maps for implementation in Unreal Engine 5.
Testing and Approval: We import all 3D models and texture sets into our Art direction test level for examination and final approvals, ensuring every detail aligns with our vision before pushing to the main level.
Procedural
Large Scale City Generation
The procedural team has hit one of our biggest developmental milestones yet– generating the entire island, spawning over 26km long (for comparison Cyberpunk 2077's night city is roughly 6km in distance). It took Frank over 30 minutes to drive from one side to the other. Keep in mind, the drive was on main roads without traffic or stoplights. Although the level polish isn't at an L1 yet, it is something we will be able to quickly achieve given the nature and robustness of our procedural systems.
The most noteworthy aspect of this accomplishment is the attention to detail in how it was constructed to be maximally performant, while not compromising on the quality of the assets. This large scale level is currently running at ~120FPS on a 4090.
We are now running a parallel world-building system with the primary goal of creating a foundational framework to continually build upon. This will facilitate the ongoing expansion and seamless introduction of new areas across Wiami over time. We've also ensured that existing areas, such as Little Meow, will be easily integratable into the larger procedural level, allowing us to merge in areas of the city that aren't using 'hard' procedural generation.
These systems are fully procedural, from the city grid and road networks, to the buildings and set dressings. Analyzing the city at this level enables comprehensive testing to ensure scalability and optimal performance of our designs. As we continue to tighten up details like object placement and scale, we will be able to start identifying different style zones so that each neighbourhood has a more unique look and feel.
Under Construction
In alignment with Wiami’s continuous growth and construction, we have introduced a Building Skeleton Generator. This tool strategically positions under-construction buildings on plots before their completion. Reflecting the dynamic nature of the metaverse, akin to a real-world city, constant updates and expansion are integral. These under-construction buildings contribute to the immersive experience, allowing Wilders to witness the development of Wiami as new areas are introduced and integrated over time.
Overpass Instancing System
Given the extent of overpass and highway systems that will populate Wiami’s infrastructure, optimization of these elements is crucial in minimizing unnecessary memory and storage usage. The overpass generator has been completely reconstructed and moved to a smart instancing system. Instead of sweeping unique mesh data along paths, it now constructs overpasses by automatically selecting and assembling pre-determined parts from a library of conditions, utilizing them as instanced static meshes.
Leveling Up
Our objective is to develop a multi-level city experience that transcends street-level engagement. To realize this vision, we've introduced a new Platform Generator tool, allowing us to create terrace-level components throughout and between city buildings, by drawing simple boundaries. This adds a new layer of vertical gameplay, elevating the user experience with a heightened sense of three-dimensional immersion.
Reaching New Heights
In creating this multi-level experience, we have implemented a Stair Generator tool. This technology utilizes pre-designed kits of parts, automatically assembling them to create stairs that are compatible with our Avatars and their locomotion systems.
Self-Plumbing
Our new and improved Pipe Generator tool simplifies the integration of pipe works in-world. Unlike previous versions where designers drew pipe paths manually, the new tool automates the process, generating an infinite variety of self-directed pipe paths at different complexity levels. This advanced tool not only draws and configures paths, but also assigns appropriate parts along paths, junctions, and intersections.
Lore
The existing Wilder World backstory stands as outlined in Dev Log 2, which speaks to the origins of the simulation, and why it was created. It serves as a strong prelude and eludes to the creation of Wilder World. As we get closer to Wiami opening and Wilders start to enter, it's important the evolution of the story closely weaves with the experience, community and gameplay.
"The medium is the message." is an iconic phrase from Marshall McLuhan. This concept suggests that the way information is presented, becomes an integral part of the message itself, shaping how it is perceived by the audience, or in this case, it's participants. That it speaks not only to the why, but is also original and created for the medium. Given that the simulation is an entirely new medium, we feel it is more important than ever to create a new story that resonates with the moment we are in right now.
Wilder World is more than a simulation; it is a symbol of hope and resilience, a virtual gathering place for the thinkers, the dreamers, the creators and the rebels, the Wilders.
With the real world under the authoritarian rule of the FORUM, a shadowy conglomerate of institutionalized corporations, humanity is subjected to intense surveillance and control, with every aspect of life governed by centralized systems that dictate even the most private thoughts and actions. In this dystopia, personal freedoms are sacrificed for corporate order, turning individuals into mere data points within the FORUM's oppressive network.
Wilders from all around the earth join together to create Wiami, now known as the capital of The Metaverse. In this protopian metropolis, the Wilders, armed with innovation and creativity, forge a new reality where freedom and sovereign identity thrive. Wiami is guarded by the GATE, a protective shield over the city to keep the FORUM at bay. Little Meow, a district in Wiami, becomes a training ground that covertly serves the rebel network.
As the FORUM senses rebellion, they deploy advanced AI to infiltrate Wilder World, targeting the Kernel, the source code module for the simulation, safeguarded in the heart of Wiami.
Join The Wilders to unite, defend freedom and the soul of humanity against the FORUM’s siege.
Avatars
We have further refined gameplay mechanics for our upcoming Avatar collection. The collection will be broken into four character types: The Driver, The Miner, The Hacker and The Defender. Each will have a specific purpose as we roll out new gameplay modes in Wilder World.
We're thrilled to announce a slew of exciting updates to our character creator, bringing even more flair and customization options to your avatars! Our latest additions include fashionable hats inspired by Frank's timeless style, a brand-new collection of brandades, high-fidelity grooms, and an expanded selection of modular clothing sets.
But that's not all—introducing Micropatterns, a new addition to our asset portfolio that adds remarkable depth and variety of finishes to materials like wool, leather, and carbon fiber, enhancing the overall quality of our assets.
We're also excited to unveil our new Blend System, a significant upgrade to the character creator that allows for blending a variety of body structures, providing Wilders with unmatched flexibility to create distinct and personalized avatars.
And that's just the beginning! We're also exploring the exciting world of NFTs and PFP to offer you the best possible representation of your inner Wilder. Our team is hard at work developing the look and feel of your NFT, promising a whole new level of avatar customization.
But wait, there's more! We're pleased to share our first concept for one of the new Factions coming to Wilder World: the MINERS. While still in early development, the MINERS faction is shaping up nicely, with key features like the head scarf and respirator defining their rugged look.
And finally, we're hitting the gym in Wilder World—but not in the way you might think! Our Wilder Gym is a place to train and work on our Wilder Locomotion, featuring inclines, tunnels, and more to test our incredible motion system. With plans for high-end motion capture and even a test grappling hook, the future of locomotion in Wilder World is looking incredibly exciting!
Wheels
Redesigned Cars: The Saga Continues
Wilder Wheels, our prized cars from "another dimension," are a testament to wheels team. Each car is a rare find, never complete, and in need of a Wilder touch to bring it to life.
We have been working on a plan to recreate our Wilder Wheels from scratch, adding wide body panels, unique headlights and rear lights, and ICE engines based on generic designs, all complemented by our signature Wilder World wheels and tires. The result? Extreme aesthetics fit for a dimension beyond imagination. This will allow the vehicles to better fit in Wilder World, along with adding modularity for a more comprehensive wheels economy moving forward. We are in the midst of creating a proposal to present to the Wheels DAO that we look forward to sharing once ready.
3RS Racing Rating & Rewards System: Making Every Race Count
Introducing the 3RS system - "Make Money Every Race." This innovative system encompasses rating, matchmaking, and rewards to enrich your racing experience. It includes detailed aspects such as points, experience levels, race entry fees, and reward percentages, along with insights into matchmaking and links to spreadsheet simulators for system validation.
While it's early to showcase and explain the system, we're actively fine-tuning it by creating scenarios in simulators that encompass all variables. A trial season will soon commence, with ratings resetting at the end of each season. Stay tuned for updates as we redefine the racing experience in Wilder World.
Community Questions
The Community Studio team is actively indexing important questions as part of the process to fulfill existing commitments and provide you with the answers that you deserve. As a result, each monthly ZINE will conclude with a dedicated section for the community, addressing pressing questions and curiosity relating to Trinity and Genesis Rewards, $WILD fuel economy, tokenomics, staking, drops and more. For ongoing reference, Wiki will be regularly updated with the latest FAQs.
Moving forward, we encourage all Wilders participate in the Burning Community Questions Typeform on a monthly basis. Your input will assist the Community Studio team in prioritizing questions for upcoming ZINES.
DOMINO Team AMA Series Wilders can expect a Team AMA to couple the release of each ZINE, held 1-5 days post ZINE release in the Wilder Discord Townhall VC. DOMINO AMA recordings will be posted in the Wilder World Discord Audio Playback channel for those that can’t attend the live event.
Join us in the Wilder Discord Townhall VC for our next Team AMA on today, Friday March 1st at 10 AM PST.
Up Next
That's all for now Wilders. On the heels of yesterday's first public release of Wilder World, the Domino and Simulation OS roadmap, and this mornings AMA, we are just heating up. More Dominos will begin to fall next week, with the announcement of key partnerships.
The resistance is strong.
MEOW
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