Development update - October 11, 2025

Hi ^

This is my usual monthly development update where I list work on various projects of mine I've done in the past 30 days.

I had to change priorities a little bit from working on story mode-related entities for Plazma Burst 3 to focusing on changes that will be needed for closed beta to start in a more proper way (would have needed to make those changes anyway so it doesn't delay the release).

Hopefully, closed beta will be ready on October 25.

In general, this is what I'm still planning on working on for closed beta to happen:

- Main menu 2.5/3D scene (or fallback to still image if won't have enough time);

- Soundtrack (or ambient/silence as alternatives);

- Server isn't fully configured (hopefully easy to do);

- Patreon API integration isn't fully configured (likely easy to do);

- Default sample Multiplayer map is still missing (easy to do, but would be nice to showcase more cool features).

What is done for closed beta to happen:

- Made UI for singleplayer/multiplayer game start;

- Requested and already received art for main menu scene;

- Reached out to some of musicians (suggested deadlines to them but it is still a bit uncertain);

- Started configuring server for the game's global logic;

- Made semi-automatic removal of spoiler content out of closed beta builds (story-related entities/vehicles, guns related to these entities/vehicles);

- Fixed bugs related to closed beta build and Level Editor scripting;

- Configured server further to better address potential issues;

- Disabled debug settings when game is compiled for closed beta version;

- Made sample Singleplayer map that will be easily accessible when starting the game;

- Made it possible to run servers in renderless modes (dedicated server-like), some Maps and Modules can now expose their configuration right on the game start screen;

- Some quality of life changes and hints in cases something isn't implemented yet.

Besides that, more work on new boss-like entity that looks like will be missing in closed beta completely (both development update mentioned boss-like entities are missing in fact).

Also moved gevanni.com together with Star Defenders 2D to a new server (which actually costs few times less) in US - players been already reporting significant performance improvements even those who don't live in US. I might try using this server for more stuff in the future.

In fact, with current Patreon income it might be even possible to afford a lot of servers for Plazma Burst 3 multiplayer match running all over the world once it will become possible to run game within full server environment. Experimental dedicated server modes when starting a new match are made just for that, essentially (in screenshots these are named "Full console mode"). There are also plans to let players run servers fully on their VDS/dedicated servers, but this might not be in closed beta initially (only hosting server on PC that can run game for now).

Plazma Burst 3

Gameplay

- Reworked some models & textures for new boss-like entity;

- Started adding new boss-like entity into the game, made collision models, added models and textures;

- Fixed an issue that was causing most 3D vehicles to have incorrect model offsets if first ever loaded vehicle had unusual scale;

- Fixed a bug causing scaled 3D entity parts to have improperly scaled slice geometry on some of debris;

- Fixed a bug causing debris particles to not include entity scale for offset and thus causing particles to spawn far from surface (for example on TGS Mobiles);

- Implemented one of new effects to be used for new boss entity;

- Fixed laser sight & smoke cloud intersection memory leak;

- Reworked physical structure of new boss entity;

- Reworked flip logic of new boss entity;

- Fixed a bug that was causing ledge position corruption and players exploding while climbing on the right side of ladders;

- Fixed a bug causing lite railgun to have glowing reloading dot attached to slider;

- Made it so voices are applied to default skins based on PB2 code;

- Fixed a crash during attempt to check if dying enemy was underwater if such enemy was destroyed instantly;

- Updated amplified damage effect sound pitch and moved sword attack sound to sword impact sound;

- Made it so AI characters can speak alert voice lines;

- Made it so environment and shadowmaps are generated for loaded maps by default;

- Fixed a bug that would cause game to never finish engine initializing if one of first map/module loads fails;

- Fixed a bug causing world not being properly unloaded after previous play sessions;

- Started implementing semi-automatic spoiler content removal;

- Added characters & some of entities spoiler resource hiding;

- Added spoiler titles hiding;

- Added spoiler entity ID renaming, removed spoiler entities from Level Editor/Skin Editor;

- Fixed a bug that was making AI characters see hostile vehicles across the whole map;

- Removed spoiler guns that are only used by spoiler entities, obfuscated left over names.

Multiplayer

- Fixed a bug that was causing wheels of some of TGS Mobiles to collapse into plane on maps with multiple TGS Mobiles in Multiplayer mode;

- Fixed none-gamemode respawn conflict logic with "switching to teammate" logic in Multiplayer mode;

- Added option to start match with trusted player-reported positions in none-gamemode (experimental feature that disables rubberbanding on poor connection/server performance and trusts player positions reported by players);

- Fixed a bug causing match hoster skin to be disposed in Multiplayer mode if world happens to not have character for some amount of time (for example while waiting for modules to load);

- Made it so game's network settings are applied in Multiplayer mode;

- Added server snapshot send rate altering option to none-game mode;

- Fixed crash on attempt to visit profile of connected player through leaderboard;

- Added headless mode start option for Multiplayer matches.

Interfaces

- Requested main menu background art/scene;

- Started reaching out to potential soundtrack author;

- Some overall polishing to texts/captions;

- Added missing functionality hints when unfinished feature buttons are pressed;

- Made it so default sorting column does not play click effect animation in Community match browser whenever it is open;

- Reworked folder access list editing to make remove button not receive hover state when it wasn't hovered;

- Made Map/Module picker for Match/Singleplayer game creation screen;

- Implemented Map/Module reordering, opening by click and removal by clicking on X in Match/Singleplayer game creation screen;

- Added icons to Maps/Modules in new game window;

- Added duplicate module detection warnings, more/less than one map warnings and unsupported files warnings;

- Added "Max players" field and made it work;

- Made it so listed Modules have blue-ish color and unsupported file types have red color;

- Added "Reset to default"/"Paste settings"/"Copy settings" buttons (only visuals);

- Added UI to edit Map/Module specific settings on game start screen;

- Made it so properties for unlisted Map/Modules are reset to default values on game start screen;

- Fixed a bug causing game start screen to break when it was already open;

- Made it so Creations cache is reset whenever new game start screen is made (so it can update Module-specific properties and titles);

- Implemented support for adding customizable game start screen properties that later are passed to Map/Modules;

- Made it possible to start new singleplayer/multiplayer games using game start UI;

- Made it so game start window closes after button press in order to prevent double click starts;

- Added match connection/start warnings if enabled in settings;

- Added refresh matches list button, made match browser messages translatable;

- Fixed a bug preventing users without accounts from accessing invite prompt screen;

- Made it possible to start Level Editor from Creation edit page;

- Fixed a bug that was causing UI to get permanently stuck on attempt to open a different map using Creation edit page while current map had unsaved changes;

- Made simplified Credits and "Players & Leaderboards" screens;

- Implemented game start settings saving on account as well as exporting/importing as text;

- Added default game start settings reset logic;

- Made it possible to start game by pressing "Space" key;

- Fixed a bug causing UI to be permanently stuck if physics debug mode was enabled during exit to main menu;

- Added one of loading screen arts to be seen only at Multiplayer loading screen;

- Added colors to names on temporary Credits screen;

- Added click sounds/effects to a new game start screen;

- Made it so game settings screen can automatically load available built-in skin IDs and names;

- Added support for option-like Map/Module starting options;

- Started trying to make a 3D-like scene out of main menu art;

- Made geometry export of main menu scene, fixed some of layering artifacts which were not visible previously.

Level Editor

- Added access to game's engine database via scripting (includes skin IDs, descriptions etc for lookup);

- Fixed a bug causing Map/Modules to not see passed values;

- Added object disposer to scripting in order to alter how fast objects are being despawned;

- Fixed a crash that would happen if warning hint-like message was created without color specified;

- Fixed a crash that would happen when editing water pool in Level Editor while someone was swimming in it;

- Implemented reaction times adjustment for AI character preset (from 125 ms to 400 ms, based on skill level);

- Improved MPRespawner module so it doesn't spawn characters inside of the vehicles (still a very flawed module, but it is also just a code example);

- Added support for player-specific skin access in singleplayer maps;

- Made it so running Level Editor while playing attempts to open a correct map;

- Fixed ambiguous detection of Level Editor running/testing states;

- Fixed a bug causing game crash on attempt to start singleplayer game when Level Editor is open;

- Fixed closed beta build bugs for skin object properties/methods;

- Fixed closed beta build code execution bugs;

- Fixed scripting errors related to dynamic UI creation that only happened in closed beta version.

Skin Editor

- Fixed a crash when existing Skin Editor and one of character's guns end up being removed during preview sequences;

- Fixed swords naming in Skin Editor.

Server

- Started implementing Patreon support to Plazma Coins integration with potential refunding tracking;

- Added closed beta limitations related to Invite Code creation, made it possible for some staff members (there are not staff members besides me at the moment) to still be able to invite players;

- Added game file access filter to prevent players without accounts from being able to access game files during closed beta;

- Started configuring server for Plazma Burst 3 closed beta;

- Added database support for Map/Module specific settings that will be shown at game start screens;

- Fixed a bug causing main server to doubt match was initiated by its' initiator;

- Added rate-limited logs for chat service;

- Lowered connections limit per IP, re-enabled processing time limits for commands received by chat service;

- Fixed map data request timeouts due to long level loadings;

- Made it so Maps/Modules placed in public folders can be downloaded by game even if not obtained;

- Removed extra connection debug messages from logs;

- Fixed a bug that was causing compilation to result in a non-working game build if code changed in certain way;

- Optimized some of game compilation logic;

- Added support for different behavior in private and public builds of the game;

- Fixed caching problem that would occasionally cache errors instead of files.

Sounds

- Made game start sound (1 sound);

- Replaced multiplayer game join sound (1 sound).

Plazma Burst 2

- Fixed a bug that was causing custom map variables to be not shown to map owner on Esc screen;

- Made it so COOP round end can't cause false zoomhack detections;

- One more anti-speed hack measure;

- Fixed an URL request bug that was making all custom map URL requests result into HTTP/HTTPS error;

- Fixed buble texts as well as teleport effects not working in new trigger actions (example: silky3-vandali);

- Fixed some of drawing-related trigger actions (example: yex-compare);

- Fixed held weapon replacement trigger action bugs (example: yex-spdm);

- Made it so login/nickname trigger actions report disconnected players as "Empty" for backwards compatibility (example: yex-online);

- Did not fix yex-interface because it seems like map depends on outdated buggy trigger action 396, basically there is extra multiplication/division by zoom value;

- Fixed unclosed shape finishing when draw operations are done (partially fixed pb dman-3d_3, not sure why it only draws last column only so far);

- Fixed light lens flare recoloring trigger action (example: molis-colors);

- Fixed gun recoloring, although hex to color matrix conversion seems to make no sense to me (example: molis-colors);

- Made it possible for vehicles to be hideable via trigger actions;

- Hopefully fixed random instant deaths after respawn bug in Multiplayer;

- Re-added per-player swords disabling, removed duplicated trigger action for sword disabling (although it will still work);

- Hopefully fixed a bug that was causing COOP matches to reset when new player starts connecting;

- Made it so singleplayer maps can use Multiplayer DM character skin (updated when player enters Multiplayer mode only though);

- Fixed line breaks not being shown in descriptions and comments on Polls section of website;

- Implemented "NOTIFY EVERYONE​" ping limit reaction;

- Made it possible to comment on feature request of other users;

- Implemented comment deletion/editing as well as Inbox notifications when someone replies to Feature Requests user previously commented on or if user is an owner of a Feature Request;

- Incorrect door IDs are resolved into first doors now (backwards compatibility for bosscat1-7vs1, "UID regression bug" in Polls);

- Fixed bug that was causing weapon power corruption when value was read from level variable ("Bug with rail projectiles (H5)" Polls request);

- Added support for "mute" property for movables upon creation (used by ALEi, requested as "Mute parameter in Movable object (not as trigger action, see description)" in Polls);

- Added support for pre-defined decoration caption texts (used by ALEi, example Map ID: theicewolf-saw3)

- Re-added support for regions that react to Actors and Enemy actors, although made it not react to other Multiplayer players;

- Fixed water to movable attachments;

- Increased triggers actions count limit to 100 (H5 only for now);

- Added command -endround for Cooperative matches;

- Added round limit to Multiplayer Cooperative matches;

- Added custom round/game duration for Multiplayer matches;

- Implemented Match preset copying/pasting as text;

- jeje52-skin_editor and jeje52-coins seem to work now (report any bugs on Polls);

- Re-added missing Android Sniper Rifle blinking animation;

- Fixed save files containing unneeded properties associated with load errors;

- Fixed chat message text cropping in 800x400 mode;

- Fixed radio button alignments;

- Implemented scrollbars caret resize based on scroll area height;

- Implemented cursor locking and sensitivity adjustment;

- Added scrolling for Settings screen sections;

- Fixed game crash due to custom map triggers assigned to key release (example: wytily-jump).

Star Defenders 2D & other small projects

- Got a new US server, started configuring it while moving gevanni.com and all my game-related services there (server is cheaper and apparently works much better);

- Moved and reconfigured Star Defenders 2D game server;

- Moved and reconfigured "Skill Issue" game server;

- Moved and reconfigured Star Defenders 3D game server;

- Moved and reconfigured Plazma Burst 2 Discord bot.