Hello everyone,

I know it's been a few months now since I last posted an update, but rest assured there is still progress being made.

Let's run down what's new.

Additions

• 'Alive' objects can now be moved and interacted with via a menu that opens after you select a valid object. Uses a cool algorithm to move according to the grid.

• The play area has been added - this will be where your miniatures go.

• The initial map editor has been completed.

• The initial framework for the super-secret system I've been developing has been implemented.

• A tester suggested that a top-down view would be useful for people that just want to make battle maps, so I did one better. There's now an isometric view, top-down view, and free cam view available. You can switch to each anytime by tapping 'V'.

• You can now upload and download assets from the Steam workshop. More on this is down below.

Some Changes
These may not seem very relevant since you can't publicly play with the Engine yet, but I wanted to keep you up to date with some of the internal progress.

• Meshes took too long to load from file when loading maps, so as a workaround the meshes are actually rendered as skinned meshes with a single bone asynchronously.
  This means no freezing on load, but this does break some pathfinding. This is a known problem and will be patched as soon as a working, efficient fix is found. The cool part is that once the update is deployed, existing maps will have their pathfinding fixed automatically since it's running on a separate system.

• Asset discovery has been made less restrictive.
  Previously, you needed the exact same folder in the exact same position when sharing, but now asset discovery is done per-object instead of per-directory.

• Asset preview images have been added.
  When downloading an asset, it will now include an image file of the asset, which will be displayed in the map editor.

Announcement Regarding Platform

To ensure a smooth experience for the players, Dragon Engine will be releasing on Steam.
Dragon Engine will still be released for free. Nothing in terms of pricing has changed. Dragon Engine is for the players.
Let me explain my reasoning for releasing on Steam.

• Free networking
  This means no server costs on either myself or the players. Steam handles all the networking.

• Steam is big
  If for whatever reason development stops or has to slow down, the latest Dragon Engine build will live in the players' libraries. You will be able to enjoy the engine with your friends until Steam shuts down.

• Community tools
  The workshop allows any player the ability to upload and distribute their own tilesets. No fussing with asset management - the workshop will handle it all for you.

I also wanted to let you know that I'm beginning school again in about a month from when this devlog is posted, and since I don't want to slow down development without giving you at least something, the first version of Dragon Engine will likely only have the level editor. I'm excited to see your feedback.

-Nik