Improved IK, "Follow" and Reactive Foliage

Got word that we've been able to get a real improvement the IK (Inverse Kinematics) on the cats' legs, so that they will be far more responsive.  I know the image below doesn't look too impressive, but it represents something we've been trying to implement, since day one.

Those who played the alpha we released about a year ago will remember that the cats stood horizontal to the ground, wherever they went - even up steep hills.  The next alpha - released about a month ago - partially fixed this issue.  The cats would react dynamically to the surfaces they were on, but the cats always stood at a 90-degree angle to the surface they stood upon.

What you see above is the next step:  Each leg responds dynamically to the surface it is on, rather than the entire cat.  Note in the image above, the cats paws are on different levels, but the body is still reacting to the horizonal world:

- The head is up, facing straight ahead, instead of down.  

- The rear hips are situated horizontally, reflecting the surface that the rear legs are standing upon, rather than tilted upwards.

We still have a bit to go before it is 100% functional.  We're still getting a few errors, such as this:

However, I doubt it will be more than a month before we have it more or less functional.  As I said in an update a few weeks ago:  Our new coder has never disappointed, since he joined us.

Tangential to this: we're going to see if we can also improve the NPC "Follow."  Those who have played the most recent alpha have reported that once you get a cat to follow you, it's kinda hard to lose them. Yeah- it might take a couple of minutes, but SueSea has a high chance of eventually finding you, no matter where you go.

Unfortunately - while this speaks to the quality of the "object avoidance" scripting behind the AI, it is not practical from a gameplay point of view.  Consequently, we will soon make our first attempt at improving the follow AI so that it will not just avoid objects, but know how to interact with them, to facilitate a more accurate "follow."

The image below is a simplified version of what I am talking about:

In this image, it is assumed that the player is facing a number of obstacles that can easily be jumped over.  Currently, as the player jumps over said obstacles, the following cat will try to always intersect with the lead cat - no matter the speed at which it is going.  However: when the following cat reaches the obstacles, it currently does not know that it has the ability to jump over them along with the lead cat.  As a result, it goes around the obstacles with an intent of eventual intersection.

The new system will allow the Ai to detect such obstacles, and if the cat is able, it will jump over or climb said objects, resulting in a more close "follow."

And Finally:  Those who played the recent alpha saw the first iteration of reactive grasses.  We've made that interaction smoother, and are close to expanding that reactivity to ALL plants within the game - this will include NPC interaction, such as a deer's head brushing against tree branches, and reeds in the wetlands reacting to the passing of the odd beaver.

More to tell next Sunday- thanks as always for yall's support, patience, and confidence - things are REALLY starting to come together, at long last!