Cepheus Protocol News

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Stay tuned for more updates and events. Thank you for your continued support!
- The Cepheus Protocol Development Team

Hey everyone,

We wanted to share an update on the Legacy System Cleanup. Your support and feedback mean the world to us, and we’re so grateful to have such a passionate community.

Our small but dedicated team has been working tirelessly:
- Robert: Programmer and Studio Director
- Derek: Programmer
- Efrain: Level Designer/Modeler
- Dimitry: Level Designer/Modeler
- Michael : Character Modeler/Animator
- Christopher : Game Designer/Writer

With just the six of us, we wear many hats, but we’re pushing forward with a ton of passion and commitment.

[h3]Ability System Finalization[/h3]
Part of the Legacy System Cleanup involved rewriting the ability system from the ground up. Our previous system worked, but it was difficult to work with and limited how much control we had over individual abilities. The new system is inspired by Fortnite’s Gameplay Ability System, but we’ve simplified it to better fit our RTS gameplay.



The new system is now entirely dynamic and delegate based allowing us to quickly add new abilities to units and prototype within minutes. With the older system abilities could take hours-days per one to implement and was all manual. It was very crappy...


This rewrite has allowed us to refine directed abilities/Passives & Self Cast abilities like, ensuring they not only work more intuitively but also add depth and strategy to gameplay. With this improved system, abilities now look smoother, feel more responsive, and are more satisfying to use than ever before.

[h3]Fixing Longstanding Issues [/h3]
One of the biggest challenges we’ve been tackling is fixing FPS drops and performance issues tied to how we handled assets in the past. While resolving hard references will fix an aspect it wont resolve all instances of performance issues.

Back in 2020, we relied heavily on hard references and dependencies, which caused problems like long load times, performance spikes, and a lot of development headaches. We weren’t alone in facing this—teams like the one working on the new Tomb Raider in Unreal Engine encountered similar challenges. Their SDK became so bloated with dependencies that they couldn’t even open it to work on the game we never got to that point. So its kind of a "growing" pain for when your project gets large enough since its not commonly discussed enough sadly and simpler games can get away with it.

Since learning about async asset loading in 2021-2022, we’ve gradually been overhauling our systems to remove “blocking loads.” This has been an ongoing process as we worked through legacy systems built during earlier stages of development. These “blocking loads” were a major contributor to FPS spikes on lower-spec machines, especially during events like creating new civilian factions, loading into the game for the first time or even interacting with certain Shops/markets ingame.

With this current cleanup, we’re addressing the last of these legacy issues. These spikes should finally become a thing of the past, leading to smoother and more consistent gameplay for everyone.

[h3]Building a Stronger Foundation[/h3]
After finishing our cleanup, we'll also be strengthening the core of the game:

1. Vehicle AI System: We’re finalizing the Vehicle AI system, which will also let us convert evac buses to this system. This will make vehicles more dynamic and reliable.
   
2. Pathfinding Improvements: Infantry movement is getting a major overhaul with adjustments to how units navigate complex environments. These improvements aim to make movement smoother and more predictable.
   
3. Laying the Groundwork for Doctrines and More: The cleanup is paving the way for upcoming features like Doctrines, DNA Research, AI/LT Cards, Operators, and eventually co-op mode.
   
4. We are about to start the most extensive bug hunt in our history after experimental builds resume going into XMAS (Live bug Tracker)
   
5. We are still submitting the game to be localized and are looking into expanding the language support for even more going into December. More details on this in a few weeks!
   

[h3]What’s Cooking Behind the Scenes[/h3]
While Robert and Derek focus on refining systems, Efrain, Dimitry, and Justin are creating a backlog of assets. This includes the final Doctrine units, buildings, and Airstrikes. We’ll be showcasing these assets in the coming weeks, and once the systems are polished, we’ll be ready to quickly implement them into the game.

The male Operator was finalized

Outfit 1

Outfit 2

Justin now will work on the Infected Standard variants we are planning to expand the current selection by an extreme amount I.E different body types similar to how L4D handles their standard infected.

New Ammo Crate. We are adding a much larger one in the upcoming Doctrines update.


Medical Crate next to the standard ammo create


More variants of smoke launchers were added for the coming upgrade in the Doctrines update


[h3]In Retrospect[/h3]
Looking back, there’s so much we wish we’d known when we started. Unreal Engine’s documentation has come a long way since we launched in 2020, and we’ve learned a lot—sometimes the hard way. Despite the bumps in the road, Cepheus Protocol is our baby, and we’re committed to delivering the experience you deserve.

We hope this passion shines through in the details—from the MLRS system in the current experimental build to small touches like shells ejecting from vehicles when they fire. These aren’t just features; they’re reflections of the love we’ve poured into this game.

[h3]What’s On Pause [/h3]
Not everything is moving at full speed right now. For example:

• World Partition: Due to a bug in Unreal Engine 5.5 affecting CPU usage for building AI paths and HLOD, this work is temporarily on hold. We’re monitoring updates from Epic and will revisit this as soon as it’s fixed.
  

[h3]Looking Ahead[/h3]
We’re aiming to release what was discussed in "Building a Stronger Foundation" and Doctrines to the public(non experimental) by early Q1 of 2025. In the meantime, we’ll be resuming experimental builds within the next week so you can see the progress as it happens.

Thank you for sticking with us and being part of this journey. Your feedback drives us forward, and we’re excited to make 2025 a big year for Cepheus Protocol.

What's on the Docket coming up
https://youtu.be/6zz49hElQa8

Here's last weeks blog post as well!
https://steamcommunity.com/games/979640/announcements/detail/4474984836247847682

Cheers,
The Cepheus Protocol Team

So… Let’s get right into it. In the interest of transparency:

On November 2nd we stated that we needed some time to do a vast project cleanup.
https://steamcommunity.com/games/979640/announcements/detail/4483989494757851395

[h3]Development Workflow Update[/h3]

Based on feedback and internal assessments, we've prioritized auditing our development tools and refining our workflow to maximize efficiency. Today, we'll provide an update on our progress, share what remains to be done, and highlight the efforts of other artists on the team.

[h3]Progress Update[/h3]
While we've made significant strides, we estimate that this initiative will extend into next week. Our goal is to tackle as much as possible before returning to work on Doctrines and polishing the Driving AI. Several tasks remain, some of which will be completed by the end of this week, while others will follow after Doctrines are finalized and we transition into DNA Research.

[h3]New Ability System[/h3]
One major achievement is the development of a brand-new ability system, inspired by Fortnite's Gameplay Ability System. We've created a streamlined, lightweight version designed specifically for an RTS game. This new system will enable rapid implementation of current and future abilities within the Doctrine tree, significantly improving development efficiency.

[h3]Current Focus[/h3]
We are now polishing this ability system while addressing issues from the Unreal Engine 5.5 update and tackling ongoing code cleanup tasks. Our team is committed to ensuring everything is in excellent shape before moving forward.

[h3]Looking Ahead[/h3]
We appreciate your patience during this time of refinement. While delays can be frustrating, we’re confident these changes will result in a more robust, efficient workflow and pave the way for exciting new features.



Unreal Engine 5.5 came out a few weeks ago and we've been implementing Nanite Skeletal meshes amongst a few other features. Basically would make rendering high detail characters very cheap so we can easily push triple A quality levels of characters in terms of mesh quality.

• Nanite Skeletal meshes
  
• Chaos Physics improvements (Driving/ General Physics)
  
• Megalights
  
• Niagara Improvements(Better Birds/VFX overall)
  
• RHI/Render improvements
  
• A brand new Day/Night system implemented at the Engine Level
  
• Mutable Customizable Characters and Meshes
  
• Overall Stability/Performance improvements
  

https://youtu.be/cfoh5FHS5RA



Over the past month, we've been prototyping and revamping data loading from a level design perspective while working on a new map, 'Bay Area,' to replace the current one. Progress has been slow as we await fixes from Epic Games for a few issues related to HLOD generation in Unreal Engine 5.5.

https://youtu.be/wma6nrORqzo
https://youtu.be/2sE9MW26mDU
https://youtu.be/T0QUqORdgic
https://youtu.be/9a2imirPssU



As part of our proposed rework to the Doctrines and addressing community feedback we're going to be finishing up the CERC Doctrines tree over the next week or so. Then move into Vehicle AI driving polish/general bug fixes going into the XMAS sale.

CERC Doctrines Flow chart:



New AJAX variant - it buffs Medics within its radius and provides passive healing in a small area while stationary.
Smoke launchers on vehicles as a defensive item

New Generators:

1. Small: Generates 75 power
   
2. Medium: Generates 150 power
   
3. Large: Generates 300 power
   

Radioman Mesh Update


[h2]Operator Mesh updated[/h2]

As the final character to revamp we updated the "base" Operator pending a total audit of the Operator system around the AI/LT cards with a finalized mesh. Michael is currently out for Thanksgiving visiting his family this week and when hes back he'll get started on doing the final Infected Standard meshes.

Operators will have 2-3 outfits per variant.

Outfit 1

Outfit 2





I've added a new tab to our Roadmap page on Notion, making it the best place to track known bugs and any additional information needed to address them. I'll be logging bug reports from the Steam forums and Discord as they come in, assigning report numbers to each for easy tracking



Preview it here. You'll start seeing it populated in the next few days!



I'm considering adding a community suggestion tab where players can view suggestions made by others, see their status (approved, rejected, or pending), and track an ETA for implementation if approved. It would have a layout similar to the bug reporting section. What do you think of this idea?



We are working on redoing localization for the entire game as well for the next big update going into Experimental heres a first look at simplified Chinese.
https://youtu.be/enBD4phe0mY

We determine which languages to implement by referencing the Steam Hardware & Software Survey.

All of the supported languages will be revised by the XMAS sale.

1. Simplified Chinese
   
2. Korean
   
3. German
   
4. Japanese
   
5. Russian
   
6. Spanish - Spain
   
7. Portuguese - Portugal
   
8. French
   

So… Let’s get right into it. In the interest of transparency:

We need to take the time to polish some legacy systems to properly take the next steps for Coop and roadmap items. This means the “foundation” has been neglected in some areas, and some older backend code needs to be updated/refactored.

To see whats currently on Experimental check out
https://steamcommunity.com/games/979640/announcements/detail/4513262258492539032

[h2]What's Changing (Affects Programmers Only):[/h2]

• New Abilities: Implementing new abilities is a chore and very likely to cause bugs due to its complexity.
  
• Minimap System: Needs optimization and conversion to a more efficient solution.
  
• Legacy References: We still have references in our code to Capture Zones, medical tents, and Ammo tents from the 2020 release. (Check out old footage from that year!)
  
• Command Bar: The bottom-right command bar needs a retooling to improve ability integration.
  
• Systemic Merges: We’re consolidating some disjointed systems that were built separately over time, making bug tracking and fixes quicker and easier in the future.
  
• Civilian/Enemy Group Spawning: Retooling how civilian groups and infected spawn, spacing them out over time instead of spawning in the same frame. This will prevent frame “hitches” and improve FPS significantly.
  
• World Partition Simulation: Adjusting simulations to work more like Kenshi, with areas managed more efficiently outside of CERC influence. This will provide a major performance boost, especially when working with World Partition.
  

[h3]Aspects Not Affected by this Refactor (Level Design/Modeling/Animation):[/h3]

1. Map Merges: The merge to San Fran North and replacement map development will continue as planned behind the scenes so we can introduce a new open world map that replaces the current with the new areas.
   
2. Character Models: New character models for our exit from EA will be shared on Discord and Steam, including the final CERC and Infected models. They will continue to be worked on and brought into the engine while we do cleanup.
   
   [h2]What came in the last few updates:[/h2]
   
   Visuals for LCAC Garrisoning
   
   New Spec Ops
   
   New Assault
   
   New Winters
   
   New Sniper
   
   New Engineer
   
   
   

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[h3]Temporary Changes to Experimental Builds[/h3]
Note: Builds on Experimental will slow down for 1-2 weeks while we clean up and modernize these systems.

We've been developing fast, creating prototypes based on user feedback and our roadmap, and we’re realizing it’s created systemic issues in our pipeline. I want to personally apologize for this oversight in design; as our first “live RTS,” we’re learning as we go and addressing scalability/performance issues that have emerged with the game’s growth and recent engine updates. Things that worked years ago just aren’t holding up with the game’s current scale.

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[h2]In Conclusion[/h2]
In conclusion, this 1-2 week focus on legacy system cleanup will provide a stronger, more scalable foundation essential for Coop and future roadmap features. Although Experimental builds will slow temporarily, this will ultimately enable faster, more reliable updates, improve FPS, and allow for better overall performance. This is also done in the goal of allowing easier UGS(Modding) for new maps to streamline the process.

Originally posted by Smith

Project Director

Come join me as I stream the game, showcasing all the new units. I'll be answering questions throughout the stream.

:tv: https://www.twitch.tv/dark583

[h2]New Stuff Gallery:[/h2]


Summary:
We will be discussing the new units and progress we've had on the new CERC redesigns.

[h3]Assault Final[/h3]

[h3]Sniper Final[/h3]

[h3]Winters Final[/h3]