Upgrade from 0.4 to 0.5

Installation process:

Before to proceed check if the latest version of Age of Joy, specifically version 0.5, is available on the Ithcio page. If not, stay tunned because it will be released soon.

Just install the APK using Sidequest or your preferred installation method.

Backup: Before proceeding with the installation, it’s recommended to save all your game settings and progress (cabinets positions, cabinets, ROMs, MAME configurations, etc.) because it could be affected by the new version. You can do this by copying the entire folder /sdcard/Android/data/com.curif.AgeOfJoy/ to your computer (using Sidequest for example).

News

Improvements

Massive graphics, sound and ambient improvements thanks to @Geometrizer.

Game performance improved a lot, again, thanks @Geometrizer.

Expanded emulation library! We’ve added more machine emulators (cores) and given you the ability to add your own. Be aware that some user-added cores may not work. @Emhashed

The game environment now dynamically responds to player movements, enhancing overall performance. Updates include optimizations in how cabinets load and unload, as well as improvements in playing attraction videos.

We’ve significantly improved NPCs with diverse styles and lifelike animations. @Geometrizer

This update is all about giving players more control over the game using AGEBasic. You can now use AGEBasic to set up things like movie posters and lights, and even make AGEBasic programs run automatically when you enter a new room.

Cabinets

Now it is possible to change the player position in reaction to some events. The typical use case is when the player inserts a coin and an AGEBasic program changes the player to look at the screen in an appropriate position.

Also it is possible to change the color, transparency level and set the emission color and material using AGEBasic.

Another important enhancement is the possibility of design which part of a cabinet the player can pass through and which should be solid. Very useful for, for example, cockpit cabinets. Also for cabinets the Cabinet Artists now can distribute MAME files easily in the Cabinet Asset.

It’s possible to select cores: Cores

0.4 → 0.5 Change log

• Player behavior was changed to improve the performance:
  • Cabinets loads only when the player is static in a position close to the cabinet’s group. Cabinets don’t load while the player is walking to do not interrupt the movement. But if the cabinet was loaded previously it pop up immediately.
  • Presentation videos loads when the player are close to the cabinet. A picture will take the place of the video when the player is away or looking from the distance.
• More rooms. Some of them are big, with capacity to accommodate more than 40 cabinets.
• Player can run a preconfigured AGEBasic program on Room load. Use this way to configure the Room (changing movie posters or lighting for example).
• Movie posters can be customized (change the image poster) using AGEBasic.
• Using AGEBasic the player can query, change intensity and colors of the light in the room.
• Rooms are darkest than the previous version.
• Sound samples tested and working. Check the MAME page for information.
• Release candidate 4:
  • A Cabinet Artist can change the game volume using AGEBasic in the Cabinet Asset
  • New CDL Debug mode so Cabinet Artists can find issues in its cabinets quickly.
  • New blocker type part on Parts. Read how to use it in the Player Blockers manual page.
  • When a room loads, and there are cabinets not assigned, Age of Joy will assign a random cabinet to each free position.
  • Cabinet Artists could deploy MAME files using the new key mame-files key in MAME files distribution.
  • New CDL key for space metric on cabinets: Cabinet space sizes. Cabinet Artists could flag bigger cabinets to fulfill specifics spaces in the Rooms and to not interfere with the Player transit.
  • There aren’t any required Cabinets parts in the new version. On previous ones Cabinet Artists must include some specific parts. Those parts aren’t required anymore, so, for example, it is possible to create a cabinet without a screen or even create piece of furniture in place of cabinets.
  • A new Cocktail standard cabinet style to select in yaml with the style key.
  • New visible property to hide cabinets parts (like the player head representation).
  • Glass materials: A new Layer Glass material to create Bezels for games like Space Invaders (1979). Glass materials has been improved: [[CDL the Cabinet Description Language#Apply a material to parts#Material options]]
  • Player can activate the Snap Turn Movement in the Visual configuration or AGE configuration using files
  • MAME Core selection between mame2003+, fbneo and mame2010.
• Release candidate 5:
  • New CRT Shader: CRT shader @geometrizer
  • If needed you can save your ROM for different cores using this pattern: /sdcard/Android/data/com.curif.AgeOfJoy/downloads/<core>/ to separate your ROMs in different cores. For example: /sdcard/Android/data/com.curif.AgeOfJoy/downloads/fbneo/myrom.zip @emashzed
  • New control-scheme to repeat the same control scheme configuration for a cabinet. @emashzed
  • New sliding doors. @geometrizer
  • insert-coin-on-startup: in CDL to do not start the game when you insert a coin. @emashzed
  • CRT Ratio: to change the scale ratio of a CRT in CDL. @emashzed
  • Device detection (Q2/Q3): @emashzed
  • Adapted emulation cores to support VULKAN hardware interface: @emashzed
  • Foveated rendering: optimize performance by concentrating rendering resources on the area of the display where the user is looking. @emashzed
  • User core selection: Cores @emashzed
  • Boost the resolution of the eye texture during gameplay. @emashzed
  • Cache for GLB, parts and images has been improved (repeated GLB files are not stored multiple times). @emashzed
  • ASTC textures to improve cabinets performance. @emashzed
  • Added new CRT: 19i-agebasic a CRT type to only process AGEBasic programs. crt: type: 19i-agebasic orientation: horizontal screen: shader: CRT

AGEBasic change log

AGEBasic is the integrated programing language for Age of Joy. For more information read the AGEBasic programing documentation and AGEBasic Examples

• New GetMember() and CountMembers() functions to emulate lists. In AGEBasic an emulated list is an string separated by an special character.
• New getFiles() function to read files from a path.
• PosterRoomCount() and PosterRoomReplace() functions to replace a Movie Poster in a Room
• The user can execute an after-load AGEBasic program globally or for each Room. The program will execute after the room is loaded and allows the user to configure the room. For example, to change the Movie Posters on the walls. Read the AGE configuration using files document to learn how to activate the new feature.
• File management AGEBasic functions: GetFiles() and CombinePath()
  • Path functions: ConfigPath(), AGEBasicPath(), CabinetsDBPath(), CabinetsPath() and RootPath()
• New introspection function type(var)
• Light configuration: GetLigths(), GetLightIntensity(), SetLightIntensity() and SetLightColor()
• Release candidate 4:
  • Functions to change the volume of the sound globally: AudioAmbienceGetVolume(), AudioGameGetVolume(), AudioAmbienceSetVolume() and AudioGameSetVolume().
  • New AGEBasic functions to query files in the file system. To access the most common paths in the game (like the configuration path, cabinet’s path, etc.) They are useful in AGEBasic programs.
  • Functions to query and set the player and cabinet parts in 3D space: PlayerGetHeight(), PlayerSetHeight(), PlayerGetCoordinate(), PlayerSetCoordinate(), PlayerLookAt(). Check the AGEBasic examples - player to look at a screen when insert coin for a use case.
  • Added IIF(), AND() and OR() functions.
  • ControlHapticRumble(id, amplitude, duration) to activate the haptic effect on a control.
  • New CDL keys to manage the emission of a cabinet part: emmission Emission includes capacity for color change and Emission file mask.
• Release candidate 5:
  • Cabinet parts Functions that only applies to a cabinet. In programs related with the cabinet, and packed inside a Cabinet Asset .
    • Colors:
      • CabPartsGetTransparency() and CabPartsSetTransparency() to get and change the transparency level of a cabinet part.
      • CabPartsSetColor() to change the cabinet part’s material color.
      • CabPartsSetEmission() to activate and deactivate the emission of a part (a button for example)
      • CabPartsSetEmissionColor() to set the color of the emission.
    • Rotation and translation of cabinet parts:
      • CabPartsGetRotation(idx, axis): To get the rotation in degrees of the cabinet part. Axis must to be X,Y or Z.
      • CabPartsSetRotation(idx, axis, angle) to change the ange of rotation of a cabinet part.
      • CabPartsGetCoordinate(idx, axis): to get the position in the 3D space. Axis must to be X,Y,Z or H. (H is the height from the floor)
      • CabPartsSetCoordinate(idx, axis, coord): to get the position in the 3D space. Axis must to be X,Y, Z or H. Coord is the new coordinate value.
    • Jukebox/music AGEBasic functions: read the Jukebox manual: MusicPlay, MusicAdd, MusicRemove, MusicClear, MusicLoop, MusicAddList, MusicPrevious and MusicNext
    • ControlActive() accepts the port as parameter.
    • Screen: ScreenWidth() and ScreenHeight()
    • String lists management: IsMember(), IndexMember(), AddMember() and RemoveMember()

Bug fixes

• fixed: CabDBAssign() function fails when the name of the cabinet is a number: ex: “1942”.
• Release candidate 4:
  • fixed: The player couldn’t walk close to a cabinet, the space occupied by the cabinet was miscalculated in the previous version.
  • fixed: Imported models (GLB) are cached even when uploaded to the workshop, so they do not show new changes applied to the model for testing.
• Release candidate 5:
  • Fixed sound bug regarding duplicated cabinets in the same room.
  • Fix color gamma from some shaders and image conversion @emashzed

Cabinet artists recommendation

This version 0.5 comes with many new features, this is a recommendation on what to do to best adapt the cabinets to the new version.

• Follow the Cabinet building best practices and fulfill the CDL best practices checklist to improve your cabinet performance.
• If your cabinet is not identified with the usual standard size, change your description.yaml according to Cabinet Space Sizes.
• If you have hidden parts inside a model, go and delete them, they are no longer required to be there and consume resources.
• Add blockers to block some parts of the cabinet and to free others, so the player can walk through them. Player Blockers
• Activate and deactivate the CDL Debug mode to test if any issue appears on your cabinet so you can fix it.
• Check your cabinets, some of them miscalculate the size and Age of Joy could create some glitches when position it, like floating cabinets for example. To solve the issue add a Player Blockers.
• Improvements you can add to your cabinet:
  • Emissive parts: Emission file mask
  • Change the player position for a better one on play: AGEBasic examples - player to look at a screen when insert coin
  • Move cabinet parts in reaction to player actions (like to move a virtual graphic joystick in reaction to the real one).
  • Add files to distribute when the cabinet is uploaded to the game, mame-files on MAME files distribution.
  • Core selection: Cores

Special thanks

• To our amazing community: Your ideas and bug reports are invaluable. They help us continuously improve Age of Joy.
• To all the talented cabinet artists: You bring Age of Joy to life with your stunning creations. Without you, it would be a pale imitation of its full potential.
• A huge shout-out to @DangerMiaus: Your tireless support, testing efforts, and dedication to the community are truly appreciated!
• to @flannelot and @zetaxis* for the Pico version.
• to @ramiroramos: for the effort to create a MR version (not ready yet)
• to @angellicide and @dmacell for the cabinet database.
• Sorry if I forget someone.

Other honorable mentions to @VRCop for technical ideas. @WilsonVR for be there from the very start. @dedhead616, @flannelot, @Alyx_Hope…

And to anyone else who has contributed: If we’ve missed you here, please know that we deeply appreciate your involvement in Age of Joy!