Dev Blog #63
Dev Blog Summary
Section A: Game and Web 3 Development
Photon Quantum 3.0 Update: Our latest upgrade to the multiplayer framework introduces significant advancements:
- Input Delta Compression: This feature compresses input messages by default, reducing bandwidth usage significantly. It changes network transport for server messages to a reliable mode, simplifying the Quantum input protocol. Delta compression is enabled by default, and raw input mode is still supported. Replay files also use delta compression, resulting in smaller file sizes.
- Predicted Commands: Commands are now immediately available in the next predicted frames, a long-awaited feature that enhances gameplay responsiveness. This improvement ensures commands are added to the next prediction frame and are accessible during non-verified frames, with predicted tick numbers being almost completely accurate. This results in faster, more responsive gameplay reflecting changes more quickly.
- Webhooks for Enhanced Security: We’ve added webhooks to bolster game security with custom backends. They facilitate critical functions like room creation, joining, RuntimePlayer, and RuntimeConfig management. These webhooks work through HTTP requests and also support replay streaming directly from the server. Configuration is managed via the Photon dashboard.
- Data-Driven System Setup: Introducing a new approach to system setup using the SystemsConfig asset. This allows for dynamic selection of Quantum systems based on game mode or map selection, offering a flexible and efficient setup process.
- Native Physics Library: We’re moving towards a common language for our deterministic maths library, transitioning to a native physics library. This shift promises slight performance improvements and long-term maintainability, despite the C# library already being highly optimized.
- Dashboard Email Verification Debugging: We’ve addressed a recent issue where users continuously saw a verification banner on the dashboard despite completing the email verification. This was due to some accounts lacking a custom server id. To prevent confusion and the loop of unverified accounts, we’ve temporarily removed the verification banner until a more permanent solution is implemented.
Section B: Business Development & Marketing
- The Plague Collection Integration: Exciting news as we’ve integrated The Plague collection into Galaxy Fight Club. Founded in 2022 by Pons, The Plague is a high-tier project that has now added significant value to Galaxy Fight Club, bringing utility and excitement to our community.
- Community Engagement and Growth: Our partnership announcement on Twitter has been a resounding success, drawing considerable attention and bringing new members into our community. This engagement signifies our expanding influence in the gaming space.
- Influencer Collaborations: Influencers like CryptoGorilla and TomNifty have highlighted Galaxy Fight Club, further spreading our reach. Additionally, a live session featuring Yas and TomNifty delved into our ecosystem, providing insights and attracting more interest.
- Upcoming Partnerships: We’re actively working on more collaborations with top-tier projects, promising exciting developments in the near future.
- Marketing Campaigns: As the market dynamics shift, we are preparing to launch larger campaigns to capitalize on the growing gaming narrative.
Section C: Community Engagement
- Halloween Holders’ Tournament: Congratulations to Jungle x RGG for winning first place, with TEAM TOUPLUX and TAB Army following closely. This tournament showcased exceptional skill and team play.
- Pop-up Matches Tournament: Chiee and Phetato stood out in this tournament, winning the leaderboards for most wins and most participation, respectively.
- Thanksgiving Mini-Event: Scheduled for Saturday 25th, this event promises an hour of intense gameplay with specific restrictions to level the playing field. Exciting rewards await the top three players.
- Upcoming Bi-weekly Tournament: Set for December 3rd, this tournament’s rules and format will be announced soon, offering another competitive platform for our community.
- Welcoming New Members: A special shoutout to all new Frog members who’ve joined us following our latest partnership announcement. Your participation enriches our community.
A: Game and Web 3 Development
Update Core Multiplayer Framework: Photon Quantum 3.0
We updated new version for multiplayer framework: Photon Quantum 3.0 which introduced a number of improvements, this improvement in user experience should be noticeable in the following ways:
- Input Delta Compression
Input messages are now by default delta compressed, which greatly reduces the overall bandwidth. The network transport mode for server messages changed to reliable, which simplifies the Quantum input protocol. While still supporting raw input mode and delta compression is enabled by default.
Replays also store delta compressed input and are considerably smaller now.
- Predicted Commands
Commands are now immediately available on the next predicted frames. This has been a feature request for some time, and it made sense to add it now that there is a new version and improved input protocol.
When sending commands they are now added to the next prediction frame and are accessible during non-verified frames. The actual predicted tick number should be close to 99.9% accurate.
This way commands can be more responsive and reflect gameplay changes much more quickly.
- Webhooks
Webhooks are an improvement to secure games with a custom backend: room creation, room joining, RuntimePlayer, RuntimeConfig can be intercepted and validated by a backend using HTTP requests.
Webhooks also enable replay streaming directly from the server.
They are enabled and configured using the Photon dashboard.
- Data-Driven System Setup
The selection of Quantum systems to start can vary depending on the game mode or the map selection. A data-driven way is introduced using the SystemsConfig asset. Different combinations of systems and subsystems combined in a Quantum asset can now be referenced by the RuntimeConfig.
- Native Physics Library
The deterministic maths library continues to be moved to a common language and builds a native physics library to be shared across different Photon products. There are slight performance improvements relative to an IL2CPP version of our C# library, which was already quite optimised, but long-term maintainability is the main reason for the migration, not performance.
Project T
New concept lands sets were introduced: Desert, Cold Taiga, Mesa, Stream, Savana, Swamp
Model Base Lands: Valley, Bad Land, Mushroom Field
Dashboard Email Verification Debugging
Over the last week, we have been receiving reports from the community about seeing the verification banner on the dashboard even after verifying via clicking the link in the verification email.
Upon looking into the problem, we found that there are some issues with the users account due to the custom server id implementation. It turns out that some older accounts do not have a custom server id since those were created before the concept of custom server id was introduced. This caused the dashboard to create a new separate account for the user when they are logging into the dashboard by connecting their wallet.
The banner is triggered by the new account which doesn’t have an email connected to it, but everytime the user clicks the verification button on the banner, an email will be sent to them.
We are looking for a way to import custom server id into the older account using a script, but for the time being we have decided to remove the verification banner so that it doesn’t send the user on a loop where their account will not be verified no matter how many verification emails they get.
Game Debugging
BUGS LOGGED:
- Once again, Watercooler does not look good on most characters via main menu
- Game is defaulting to Dual Pistols every time User selects new Character
- All Menu text needs to changed accordingly to all these skill changes. Example: Inventory is still showing old % and Menu should should Shield duration as well as Block %
BUGS RESOLVED:
- Christmas Gun and projectile will now aim straight
- Hammer of Gods basic attack projectile is no longer delayed
- Picking up Candy would decrease damage by -3 for the whole game
B: Business Development & Marketing
The Plague has entered the colosseum!
We’re excited to announce that a new collection has been integrated into Galaxy Fight Club — The Plague.
The Plague was founded back in 2022 by Pons and has proven to be one of the higher tier projects in the space. Being led by their founder, Pons, The Plague has delivered great utility to their community and has now added another layer of utility by integrating into Galaxy Fight Club!
Our partnership announcement blew up on Twitter and has brought many new eyeballs and new faces into our community.
https://x.com/ThePlagueNFT/status/1725545608834925005?s=20
Big welcome to all of the newly joined members!
If you happen to own any of their NFTs, make sure to keep an eye out for upcoming events.
We are also already working on more partnerships with other top tier projects, so stay tuned for more action!
Galaxy Fight Club has also been brought up by many influencers and KOLs as the gaming narrative is slowly but surely expanding upon the industry, some of which include the likes of -
- CryptoGorilla https://www.youtube.com/@CryptoGorilla
- TomNifty https://twitter.com/TomNifty
And more.
Additionally, Yas went live together with TomNifty to talk all Galaxy Fight Club and provide some additional information about our ecosystem.
https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1MYGNoRVyqPJw
As the market heats up more and the gaming narrative grows stronger, we will be looking to launch larger campaigns again.
Overall, we are very happy with the project development and are looking forward to ramping up the marketing side again.
As always, to conclude this section of the dev blog, here are the Twitter highlights -
Holders Tournament results — https://twitter.com/galaxyfight_nft/status/1724788745361347027?s=46&t=r-2-OUMYvIwHzM7DpKHy3g
#GFCup — https://twitter.com/galaxyfight_nft/status/1723028066614567259?s=46&t=r-2-OUMYvIwHzM7DpKHy3g
The Plague Partnership — https://twitter.com/galaxyfight_nft/status/1725589176786035166?s=46&t=r-2-OUMYvIwHzM7DpKHy3g
C: Community
Congratulations to Jungle x RGG for winning the Halloween Holders’ Tournament. In second place came Team TOUPLUX and TAB Army with these results:
First place for JUNGLE x RGG 2–0–2, second place for team TEAM TOUPLUX 1–0–3 and TAB Army 1–0–3 who shared the podium and the rewards as the best top 3.
It was a great tournament, plus we have to mention 2LMV for their effort as they played two of their last games with only 2 players.
The pop-up matches tournament has ended and the winners are:
A) Leaderboard for wins: 1st place Chiee — 2nd place Jamz
B) Leaderboard for participation: 1st place Phetato — 2nd place 2Lepzz
Next week we’ll host a mini-event for Thanksgiving. Here are the rules:
Date and time: Saturday 25th at 9 am EAST
Duration: 1h (from 9 am to 10 am EST time)
Rules:
- 4 matches will be opened at 9 am, like in pop-up matches, whenever a room is filled, the game will start. I’ll keep hosting matches like this for 1 hour
- Restrictions: Asteroids (any kind), Cube, Boxing Gloves, Doctor’s crossbow, BYOP-pills and companions are not allowed
- Tournament Mode
Rewards:
- 1st- $ 30 (if it’s a doctore, he/she will also receive a Genesis Weapon)
- 2nd- $ 20
- 3rd- 3 GK
On December 3rd we’ll run our next bi-weekly tournament. Rules will be shared by the end of the week.
Lastly, we’re happy to welcome all the new Frog members who’ve joined after to our new partnership announcement!
