Ultimate Fishing Simulator News

Hi!
It's been a while since the last Status Update and I will say the remastered version is a long and bumpy road. It took tons of time, research, whiteboards, brainstorms, and most of all trying not to affect any game mechanics that have been in the game since 2017.

I have to admit (and I believe other members of our small team will agree) that our heads are full of ideas about what we can do, and how we can do it but then here it comes: Engine Update ːsteamthisː.

"Aye, why multiplayer is not working?", "The sky disappeared"," Why rods are not bending anymore?" and so on. Huge engine in the backend that is affecting everything that was done in the original version.

So what is the current status, based on our previous post (You can read more about it >HERE< ):

• Phase 1 - almost done. We have issues with the skybox, that is affecting not only the sky but also the weather and lightning. We don't like how it looks right now.
  
• Phase 2 - VR works properly in the new version, which was our plan for Remaster (so it's done). I don't hide that in the future we would like to also focus more on the mechanics and "VR" feeling.
  
• Phase 3, Phase 4 - in progress. This is the most time-consuming phase. In the beginning, we planned to refresh most of the maps in the current state but it was sometimes just not possible and some of the maps were redone from scratches.
  
• Phase 5 - 95% of fish models are done. We are missing around 15-20 models to be redone.
  
• Phase 6 - in progress. Not much to say about it. We aim to finish all equipment remasters by the end of March. We will see how it will go.
  
• Phase 7 - we didn't start working on it yet.

[h2]MAPS[/h2]
The biggest change for all maps - both old, DLC, and future ones, was a huge change in our pipeline. In the past, we just did the maps based on photos, and videos without proper touch to topography. Right now for all our maps, we are using real-life topography data and sometimes bathymetry for bottom/underwater views. Curious how the difference, let's jump on the new Powell Lake which is around 10x bigger than the old map. The big and important change will be also that maps like Greenland or Pinas Bay will be no longer two maps, they will include big coasts that you will be able to explore.

I removed water in the middle so you can check how the underwater is formed!

But you already saw some Powell Lake comparison last time so maybe it's time to show something else.



And maybe some other vibes from Kariba Dam:



[h2]FISHING GEAR[/h2]
What can I say? Everything is outdated, old models, some looking bad. Below is a comparison of well-known Dakino DV!




[h2]FISH MODELS[/h2]
Here without comparison let me present you the new model of Tiger Trout and Siberian Sturgeon:






[h2]TESTING[/h2]
We are aiming to do a regular soft launch in PlayTest. How it will look exactly? We will release PlayTests in stages. Each stage will include a reworked map, ex.:

• Stage 1 - Betty Lake Remastered
  
• Stage 2 - Powell Lake Remastered
  
• ...
  
• Stage X - Greenland Remastered

Thanks to your feedback during this we will be able to know your thoughts before dropping everything on public release.

Just a reminder - Remastered Update will be FREE.

[h2]Join Us - On Discord![/h2]
As always I encourage everyone to jump on our Discord, where you can catch me (Raintek) or other people from Dev Team!

If you would like to be able to chat with us or just simply talk about the game or share your record catches - you are welcome on our Discord :)



Tight Lines!
Rafal

Hello Everyone,
it is time to drop some light on how the works over the “rework” are going! What did we achieve, what we would like to achieve and what things we are struggling with 🙂

[h2]So what does the “remaster” mean at all? What is it? What you can expect? [/h2]

To be honest, it is a really complex matter that we divided into a few sectors but first things first. By the remaster, we mean that the whole game, especially the background code, scripts, and assets will get an overhaul while keeping the core gameplay mechanic in its current form (maybe besides cringe reel drag that is not working properly).

As we are still a small team (currently 4 people), we divided the whole process into phases, which I can publicly reveal to you.

• Phase 1 - converting the project to the newest Unity HDRP LTS. Implementation of the new water system. New skybox.
  
• Phase 2 - redoing VR so it works properly on the new Unity version (this one will need a LOT of testing)
  
• Phase 3 - reworking all base game maps
  
• Phase 4 - reworking all DLC maps
  
• Phase 5 - replace all fish models from old to new ones
  
• Phase 6 - adjustments in gameplay mechanics, improvements in UI/UX, re-doing lures & baits logic (to be more user friendly), improvements in SFX.
  
• Phase 7 - re-working game networking and adding full multiplayer support so you can see other players.
  
• … and more but I don’t want to reveal it right now as some things/features are not 100% confirmed, so I don’t want to promise anything.

As you can see it is a LOT of work but so far I have to admit we are doing pretty well.

We already finished Phase 1 but during our internal testing, we have some mixed feelings about new water & underwater visuals so this one can still change to another solution.

Phase 2 was already done, and tested on our internal VR headsets but it is a really important part of the game. We haven’t improved the input and visuals yet but right now it is fully functional and playable on Unity HDRP. That is why we will release the VR remaster (and other features) in an open playtest. You can sign for them already here:



Phase 3 is giving us a lot of struggles, and there are a few reasons for that. We want to keep the original shape of the maps where we can, improve visuals as much as we can, and most of everything - keep performance at a level, where everyone will be able to play as the old version.

For maps, we had planned to “refresh” most of them but it seems we will finish by re-doing 80% of them from scratches in Phase 3 :) One of the maps where we just did visual improvements, small terrain changes, etc. is Betty Lake.

[h2]Welcome to remastered Betty Lake![/h2]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Don’t think that we only did Betty Lake! We already finished over half of the maps from Phase 3 and we will regularly show you videos from Before/After and we will be more than happy to read your feedback.

The biggest change in all maps is that right now we are using real-life heightmaps for terrain and lakes/rivers/ocean bottoms (if this data is available).

Remember Powell Lake? It was a small map, now it is triple like that! It finally feels like Utah!


I can’t wait to show you St. Zenos Lake which should be a carp fishing paradise from the start, with proper booths and places for fishing! :>

And Pinas Bay? Oh dear, this one is huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge.

[h2]So when we will post an update?[/h2]

Once we finish Phase 3 - we should release the first update publicly after playtests (remember you can take part in them for free).

Phase 4 - will be released in regular updates, map by map.

Phase 5 - In terms of fish replacement - this is a huge task. We have over 100 fish in the game, and replacing all of them with proper animations and textures required us lot of work to not mess anything up (remember Taupo Lake's new fish glitches? We don’t want to repeat that).

Phase 6 - will be most likely pushed in steps with earlier updates, so it can be that we will release part of Phase 6 with some Phase 4 DLC map remaster or between other updates. The priority is proper fishing behavior, spawn points, sound systems, UI/UX upgrades, reel drag, and more!

[h2]Multiplayer[/h2]
Phase 7 - and this is the biggest and hardest task for us. As we posted in the roadmap we should release it somewhere in 2025. Many of you ask how it will be so here is some light for it.

Multiplayer will be implemented once for good which means:

• Full 3D models
  
• Visible other players catch, rods, fights, animations
  
• and more! 🙂

[h2]The Gem that wasn’t polished - Florida DLC[/h2]
Remember Florida DLC? It is the biggest map in the game that ever existed, we tried to do something better, something different with a really lot of reefs, iconic places, and depths with really big fish.

And we simply failed in many fields. We spent almost the whole of Christmas fixing the game, pushing patches, etc – believe me, we would prefer to eat pierogies with a “calm mind” :D

So lesson learned, and here is a short update about Florida: MAP IS TOO BIG, AND THERE IS NOT ENOUGH FISH (xd).

But for real here is our plan:

• It will be updated to HDRP in Phase 3
  
• We will add 3 more fish species:
  • Sandbar shark
    
  • Dusky shark
    
  • Silky shark
    
  • … and maybe one or two more.
• We will add 10 more lures/baits, only available in Florida DLC that will be dedicated especially to fish in Florida (but will also work on other maps).

If you have any more suggestions for Florida - let us know. And yes, updates will be free and the price of DLC will remain the same.

[h2]Join Us - On Discord![/h2]
If you would like to be able to chat with us or just simply talk about the game or share your record catches - you are welcome on our Discord :)



Tight Lines!
~THE DEV TEAM
____________________________
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UItimateFishing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UltimateFishingOfficial
Discord: https://discord.gg/5AnMchrWYZ

Changelog:

• Fixed problem with disappearing fish in Level Editor maps

Changelog:

• Fixed Vundu catfish on the Kariba Dam map (the bug only occurred in the French language).
  

Changelog:

• Fixed St. Zeno teleport
  
• Fixed Atlantic tarpon on Florida DLC