Chicken Follow Cam - Sapiens Devlog 42

Wishlist now on Steam! Link is below.

This week I tried to pull back on the rate at which I record videos, but failed miserably so here is another one! I've been focusing on UI, and in this video I take a look behind the scenes and show some UI code along with how I use Lua to put my UI together using C++ under the hood. I've also got a new camera mode where you can follow sapiens and chickens as they wander around.

In Sapiens, evolve your primitive hunter gatherers through thousands of years of technological advancement. Feed, protect and grow your tribe, build towns and industry, and advance through the ages in this first person civilization building god game for PC. Play with your friends in co-operative or competitive multiplayer, all on a procedurally generated planet larger than Earth.

Follow on twitter: @playsapiens or @majicDave

[cameron]

Naming a chicken "god" and playing the entire game through the chicken's perspective

[Siminfrance]

Very impressive game,
But as a backend dev I am more impressed by your engine!
It does seem very powerful indeed.

[IronStoneMine]

I just wanted to let you know that your uploads get me unproportionally excited! Keep it up, I'm really enjoying the more frequent updates!

[maglax]

I never knew how much I needed a chicken cam until now. Also I have to acknowledge your code comments.

[MegaEdu]

It will have support to other languages? I am available to translate to Brazilian Portuguese. 👍🏼

[MaxPicAxe]

I like your idea of splitting path finding into chunks. It makes sense performance-wise, but also makes sense realistically. Your sapiens should only be able to see so far, and shouldn't know if there is a huge kilometres away for example and already know to avoid it.

[vxwthbl]

I think you mentioned a weather simulation a while ago, are you still using that? Is there rain?

[SolarFox]

You should start messing around with health and make a health bar so they are baby's it will be small and gets bigger over time but when they get really old it will get smaller and smaller

[alexterrel]

Dude!!!! SO excited to have been randomly browsing steam and they recommended sapiens. It’s nuts seeing the progress over the last year, let alone steam recommending it! Hype

[brettgoldsmith]

Yes! The ability to name bushes is a feature sorely missing from other games. Finally someone who understands what gamers actually want.

good progress btw

[rafaelcorrea]

I don't know why, but I'm really fond to the idea of you just place the area for buildings, and the sapiens choose how to build in it.

[ecla]

I’m so excited for this games further development and eventually launch. I just wish I had a graphics card powerful enough to run it.

[bloodbite]

If you don't like transparent menus then perhaps make it non-transparent when the cursor is hovering over the buttons, but keep it transparent when the cursor isn't hovering over the buttons.

[seize]

That camera will allow you to put yourself in the perspective of an actual player, that will probably help a lot with creating gameplay mechanics and finding ideas. Amazing job ! :)

[rhysnortonbrough-smyth]

Nice cam, but the stat text is a little too small especially for individuals with visual impairments. I would suggest larger text. Also, having the 'assign focus' box to one side would be a better alternative. Great work :)

[Mortizul]

Glad you're feeling good about your UI code now. Also, the chicken animation is great.

[MrMartinBoo]

When thinking of VR in future, add that bottom screen UI on top of VR left hand (similar as Yu-Gi-Oh card holder thingy). just an idea

[StregasGate]

A look at the code 🤤
I'm really enjoying watching this come together. The game looks beautiful!

[pilhamre]

Youre videos are the best and I hope that you will blow up very soon!!!
Also, you are so quick to add new features and add new stuff in your game so we have something to watch :)

[goodideas]

very impressive Dave - you build your very own game engine, amazing !