OPEN FORTRESS

DEVELOPMENT BLOG

RECENT POSTS

Playtest wave 2: Electric Boogaloo

OF Team | February 24, 2024

Happy birthday to us all!

OF Team | February 14, 2024

YOU WANNA PLAYTEST WITH US??

OF Team | December 25, 2023

RECENT TWEETS

Playtest wave 2: Electric Boogaloo

OF Team | February 24, 2024

Tags: News , Behind the Scenes

YOU STILL WANNA PLAYTEST WITH US??

Tired of dull sawblades, unexpected... wait, I think we said that last time. Our first wave of playtesters have been very helpful with ironing out bugs and testing out our upcoming features, they've been so diligent in fact that we've decided to go ahead and start another wave! So if you missed out on the first wave, now's your chance to try!

If you've sent us an application before but weren't accepted, now's the time to go back and re-read your responses, perhaps remove that paragraph about "Destroying the dev team and rebuilding it in my image" and clean up your writing.

Certain applications were put in the backlog already and were just waiting for a better time, which could be now!

So what are you standin around for, take that pen an quil and get writing!

https://forms.gle/QYZ6rkkziY3tWp8V7


Happy birthday to us all!

OF Team | February 14, 2024

Tags: News , Coming Soon , Behind the Scenes , Just for Fun

Judging by the loud explosion sounds, wet thuds, and the orchestra of crickets on my front porch, it seems that one more year has passed for Open Fortress, not just one in fact, this time, it's FIVE!

For some, everything they could ever wish for, for others, no time at all, but we are OPEN FORTRESS, and this is a cause for celebration!
There is much to say, and to help, I'll consult my trustworthy advisor and Co-General. Let's hear what he has to say:
"Wait, what? Its been five years? IT HAS NOT BEEN FIVE YEARS ALREADY!!
I'm over here fending off polar bears from invading my home in the alaskan wilderness, and you guys are expecting a big anniversary post! Well, guess I better fax you guys this latest info for the occasion! (And hope one of these bears doesn't gnaw my arm off)"

While we wait for the wonders of technology to do their thing, why don't we look at less sentimental tearjerkers and rather at the future!

Indeed, the last couple of months have been quite eventful behind the scenes.
Open Fortress, in its core, is a collection of games and gamemodes with Team Fortress at its heart, so it's been quite saddening to see many of its modes and features forgotten and unplayed, which is why we've been cooking up a new way for the game to flow, which would not only let players experience more that the game has to offer, but also future-proof it for any new games and gamemodes added, for example: Retromode!

Now, not to get your hopes up too much, we're still not actively developing Retromode, our main focus is polishing up and finishing Deathmatch, but this is a big step towards a more varied experience.

Instead of the old and dusty map votes at the end of the game and tucked away vote menus to change the mutator, we now have a brand-new end of round voting screen that includes gamemodes, maps and mutators, all of which are now more customizable than ever, both on our end as well as the server's end.

The commonly used plugin "Rock the vote" now also has an in-game equivalent in the call-vote menu.
From having every single option as a possible vote, to only hosting a single map and gamemode, the system is as customizable as it gets, and we hope to see both regular players, as well as creative server hosts, to make full use of the system.
Of course, we're also working hard to allow old geezers to host servers without this new system so as not to break compatibility with tried-and-true plugins and methods.

The system, mechanics-wise, is mostly done; the only thing left is coding the UI for it, which will come with a few new VGUI updates as well.

The system is quite big, and we want to make sure everything works correctly, as it encompasses the entire game.
Many other changes and updates have been made during its development, and we might want to push those out before it's done, so we can't guarantee the vote system will be in the next update, but it definitely will come soon!

As for actual gameplay changes, you might've caught some teasers of a certain new powerup, the Jetpack!

Look Up! Look Down! Look Out! Mercenary does it everywhere!
The jetpack lets the user soar through the air at will and keep or increase their momentum, and don't worry about your jetpack running out mid-flight, modern medicine has made fall damage a thing of the past.

And before you ask, yes, a certain egg-laying Tachyglossidae is already back on his mission to collect gemstones or something like that, as our modeler James Retro has been hard at work to make this beautiful contraption a reality.

Now that's classy!

Many of our mappers have also been hard at work and wanted to share their progress:

Take a look at this in Dev bloodrun re-artpass by Pigeon!

And something that's been long in the making ( and is still in the making... ), a tutorial map! It's still quite a ways off, but we're making slow but sure progress on it.

A change in scenery is always nice to spice up the day.

Now, let's see how our fax machine is doing.
Ah, here it is.

Five years? It doesn't feel real, yet as I stare at this single gray hair on my head, the reality is beginning to set in that I'm almost thirty. Through working on this project, I've made some amazing friends and had the privilege to work alongside some very talented people, and despite the hardships we sometimes face, it's the wonderful community we've amassed that makes everything worth it. You all are what keep this whole thing going, what keeps me motivated to continue being part of this, and, of course, continuing to perform the part as your favorite masked man. To all of you, in the community and on my dev team both past and present, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all. - Stachekip

Five years... That's over half of Team Fortress 2's development time now, crazy to think about. One day you're opening Visual Studio to figure out what an "Int pointer" is, and next thing you know, you have blood on your hands, a goat horn stuck in your head, and a pentagram beneath you; and also a Project with hundreds of contributors and thousands of fans. The first year was so exciting. I had just turned 16, learning about the engine, figuring out how to make the bare necessities work, then people started joining, and wanting to contribute, and quickly things started developing, the first maps, the first actual playable build, I remember the multi-weapon system genuinely being an accident at first, giving a dozen weapons in each of the first 3 slots.
The Mercenary actually got a model! And his voice actor, now a good friend of mine, also decided to lend his hand and approval.
New UI, the Loadout system, more modes... As the second year dawned, the first big boom happened, and we had so much trouble hosting the downloads due to our non-existent funds.
Hosting is definitely something that is still plaguing us to this day...
Development on Retromode started, but quickly faded, more polish for DM, internal struggles with keeping the mod afloat and the team running, to the point where I left for a bit...
Third year's hazy for me due to my absence, but I know the team bounced back and got into the structure it is today, for the better I feel.
Next Year was the big shut-down, which halted development to a crawl, and finally we're back, trying as best as we can to continue what we started.
I am so thankful for everyone, especially the team, be it people who stuck around till current day, be it the ones that have moved on, and especially the ones who perished on the climb. - Kay


YOU WANNA PLAYTEST WITH US??

OF Team | December 25, 2023

Tags: News , Behind the Scenes

Tired of dull sawblades, unexpected "BONK!"s, and assault rifles bursting into flames?
Well, we are too! Open Fortress has been in open alpha since its inception, and public testing helps out a lot in discovering bugs. However, since making a public version takes quite a bit longer than making a development version, internal testing has been a major part of our workflow, and unfortunately recent changes have left us unable to accept new internal playtesters for a long while... UNTIL NOW!

That's right, we are re-opening playtester applications, and with a brand new server to boot! If you've been on the nice list this year and have been very active in our Discord, you may have a higher chance of getting accepted. In particular, we're interested in server operators for the next update, as it introduces changes in how they flow.

Well, what're you waiting for, Christmas? Unless you've been on the.. what's the opposite of nice? Not nice? Unless you've been on the not nice list this year, then check out the form below to apply!

https://forms.gle/QYZ6rkkziY3tWp8V7


Revision 19!!

OF Team | August 11, 2023

Tags: News , Updates

[System]

  • Updated FMOD to newer version

  • Enabled FMOD debug mode

  • SourceMod now officially supports Open Fortress

[Gameplay]

  • Big projectile and Explosion update

    • Changed how blastjump knockback is stored
      • Now saved separately from damage
      • Self damage reduction or increase now doesn't affect it anymore
        • Shield now properly protects you, without sacrificing blast jump height
      • Fixes weapons like the China lake doing more self damage than intended
    • Changed how collision detection is handled
      • Should be more consistent across the board now
      • All damage is now done from the PROJECTILE'S team, rather than the shooters, which fixes changing teams allowing for friendly fire
    • Changed how visuals are networked
      • Visual information should now be stored in the projectile itself, which fixes edge cases where the weapon is deleted after a projectile is fired
  • Added self damage stat for weapons

    • Reduced Gravity gauntlets self damage
  • Wait to respawn no longer works in duel

  • Re-implemented bot_spawner entity

[UI]

  • Added patch version to the main menu

  • Added "include_res" option to res files

    • Allows a res file to include another res file within itself ( With depth support )
    • To use, create a "include_res" container anywhere in your res file, ex:
            "include_res"
            {
                "include" "resource/ui/foreground.res"
                "include" "resource/ui/background.res"
            }
  • Added edit_line_number parameter to combo box

    • Set the number of items in the dropdown menu.
  • Added command to open the loadout menu while In-Game open_charinfo_direct

  • Main menu submenus are now precached and will only load once, so opening and closing them should be faster now

[Bugfix]

  • Fixed "map" command no showing the loading screen when used
  • Fixed loading dialog not closing upon being disconnected
  • Fixed options menu and server browser lingering in the background after being deselected
  • Fixed Lockdown bots counting towards balance
  • Fixed Lockdown bots not thinking
  • Fixed bots forgetting how to put one leg after the other every other tick
  • Fixed bots ignoring players in FFA entirely
    • They still have a small FOV and don't look around often
  • Fixed Spectators "ragequitting" duel matches
  • Fixed certain weapons causing the crit sound to play on loop when headshotting
  • Fixed projectiles hitting teammates if the shooter changed team midway through
  • Fixed Flamethrower and GIB AOE not hitting teammates with friendlyfire
  • Fixed projectile visuals like explosions using the wrong effects if the weapon is removed early
  • Fixed cl_quickzoom_out_time and cl_quickzoom_in_time not being clientside
  • Fixed jitter when colliding with players in FFA
  • Fixed jitter when colliding with teammates when of_teamplay_collision is enabled
  • Fixed superweapons not dissolving
  • Fixed Shotgun not having the two extra reload sounds that were erroneously removed at some point

[Stability]

  • Updated libcurl version, fixing a major security flaw
  • Added few more failsafes to prevent FMOD Play sound from crashing
  • Base class information for bot_spawner bots is now also precached, which should reduce lag on first spawn
  • Fixed crashes related to animation handling
  • Cleaned up how class precache is handled
  • Minor crash fixes related to bots
  • Quickzoom is now more stable on high ping scenarios

[Maps]

Trisect

  • Reset length to from 60 to 30 seconds and decreased respawn time on invisibility, shield, and duel shield powerups.
  • Expanded the yellow section
  • Completely remade the green section to fit circular gameplay better.
  • Removed the elevator for now (will most likely be back in a future version)
  • New slipgate from the yellow section’s display case to the catwalk over the blue section.
  • Added various health and ammo pickups across the map
  • Added more spawn points
  • Much better lighting
  • More artpass progress
  • Included navmesh for bot pathfinding

Fotia

  • Reworked the indoors Office section
    • Now less cramped and more spacious
  • Reworked haste powerup room
  • Rest of the map scaled down for sake of flow
  • Adjusted the angling of some slopes on the B-side of the map for better flow
  • Added a new route into the fan room

[SourceMod]

With this update comes Official support from SourceMod. To use SourceMod now, you simply need to get the latest version off of their website:
https://www.sourcemod.net/downloads.php

Alongside this version of OF-Tools, which is much more lightweight:
https://github.com/openfortress/SM-Open-Fortress-Tools/tree/first-party-sm


Revision 18

OF Team | August 11, 2023

Tags: Updates

[System]

  • With this update comes the removal of native linux client support
    • We highly reccomend the usage of proton, the usage of which you can get help for in our Discord's support channel
    • Server binaries remain, and will remain, supported

[Fixes]

  • Fixed weapon data reading error message not using the schema name
  • Fixed typo in Saw Balista code causing it to not do damage
  • Fixed localisation file having certain strings and characters messed up
  • Fixed localisation strings cutting off early
  • Fixed loads of crash-after-crash bugs
  • Fixed a race condition with curl
  • Fixed a crash that could happen when changing settings
  • Fixed a delay that could happen during re-launch
  • Misc stability improvements
  • Fixed duel shield collision model

[Maps]

  • Added dm_murano_dev

  • Updated dm_roughshod_dev

    • Reworked the full HP room to be laid out less awkwardly
    • Swapped the grenade launcher and railgun spawns
    • Widened many doorways
    • Replaced the broken lift with a func_plat
    • Added a mapdata file
  • Updated mctf_obzen_dev

    • Added jump pads to the sides of the bridge on mid
    • Modified lighting
    • Modified jump pad triggers
  • Updated dm_marine_dev

    • Moved the shield spawn to the old full ammo spawn
    • Replaced the old shield spawn with 3 pills
    • Added some pills below the new shield spawn
    • Made the kritz spawn easier to get out of
    • Changed the small HP next to the upper shotgun spawn to a medium one
    • Changed the small HP next to the upper tommygun to a medium one
  • Updated dm_aerowalk_dev

    • Rebuilt the map from the ground up
  • Partial dm_trisect_dev artpass

  • Updated dm_fotia_dev

  • Updated dm_angeles_dev

  • Updated mctf_angeles_dev

[Visuals]

  • Updated Gatling gun texure
  • Fixed pistol eject brass being misplaced

[Cosmetics]

  • Added Welder mask
  • Added the Deconstruction Worker (TFC Engie helmet)

[Mapping]

  • Mercenary class added to info_player_teamspawn spawnflags
  • Added 'tf' tags to various dev textures that didn't have them

Revision 17, Hotfixes!

OF Team | July 31, 2023

Tags: Updates

[System]

  • Updated how Third person is handled to no longer Break angles in some scenarios
  • Updated DM sound cues to also play in objective Merc modes

[Crashes]

  • Fixed game freeze during load times when the game is reopening itself
  • Fixed null pointer crash related to missing Local player when playing announcer sounds
  • Fixed Announcer entity not clearing itself from memory after deletion
  • Fixed saw ballista not hitting the shooter in team modes
  • Fixed null pointer crash related to bots in CTF
  • Fixed null pointer crash related to the DM Rocketlauncher act table

[Fixes]

  • Fixed certain systems experiencing Assert messages
  • Lessened reloading of the main menu video, improving stability
  • Fixed capture point hud having missing textures for upwards captured capture points
  • Fixed capture point text being white regardless of background
  • Fixed forced class switches in Escort or Infection not factoring in class limits
  • Fixed arsenal resupply not properly reselecting your weapons
  • Fixed the player movement freeze being the opposite of the winscreen ratio setting

[Visuals]

  • Reordered DM Pistol sequences to better support older mods
  • Replaced the old melee kill voiceline with a cool new one
    (consider this a small sample of whats to come)

[Cosmetics]

  • Added a new style for the long-sleeved default shirt: Camoless

[Maps]

  • Updated Painhouse
    • Removed "_dev" suffix
    • Improved performance
    • Added map info images
    • Added spectator camera spots