Version 3 will be pre-released on the Opsive Store the week of October 10!
Version 3 will be released on the Asset Store after a successful pre-release phase and all of the documentation/videos have been updated. We've received a lot of interest for version 3 so we decided to do a pre-release phase for those who are really itching to get their hands on it.
We are expecting those participating in the pre-release phase to already be familiar with version 2 as version 3 will not have updated documentation, videos, or add-ons/integration support. Before version 3 hits the Asset Store we will have the complete set of documentation and videos ready to go. The add-ons and integrations will be added after the controller has been released on the Asset Store.
We will be monitoring the version 2 to 3 update process but are expecting version 2 to be supported until the end of the year. You will be able to migrate your character from version 2 to version 3 without having to recreate the character. Unity 2021.3 will be the minimum supported version of Unity.
The major version 3 changes include:
New Locomotion Logic
The Character Locomotion movement logic has been reworked for version 3. I actually started with a new component and slowly built up the logic with lessons learned from version 2. Things like the protruding objects are now smoothly handled. Box colliders are now supported. The Kinematic Object Manager has been removed and the Rigidbody component is responsible for the interpolation.
Modular Item System
Santiago (@Sangemdoko) spent many months developing a new modular item system. I am extremely impressed with what he has accomplished. In version 2 the magic item contains modular actions for the different states of the magic item. In version 3 every component has this flexibility. This is really going to open up a lot of possibilities for new functionality without having to change the item class.
Character Model Switching
Switching the character model at runtime has been a hot topic on the forum and I'm happy to say that it is now supported out of the box. A new Model Manager component allows you to easily switch between the different character models.
Improved Editors
All of the major editors have been rewritten using Unity's UIToolkit. This is the most noticeable when you select the character at runtime - the performance is no longer degraded because IMGUI isn't redrawing all of the elements every frame.
New Demo Scene
For version 3 we decided to take a new approach to the demo scene. We have a simplified prototype scene that shows all of the functionality in different zones. The new characters (called Atlas and Rhea) are going to be the generic characters that we use for all of our products.
And Much More
In addition to these items there have been a ton of features and improvements that aren't large enough to need their own topic. Aim Assist has gotten a makeover. The Animation Event Trigger class has been improved. TextMeshPro is now being used instead of the old UGUI text. It goes on and on.
Migration
The update from version 1 to 2 was a complete rewrite so you had to start from scratch with a new character. In version 3 there is a new Migration Manager tool that will help you migrate your version 2 character, camera, and item to version 3. We will have detailed documentation and videos on how to migrate when the release gets closer.
Reworked Controller Variants
We received a lot of feedback that the current variants (UFPS, TPC, FPC, UCC, etc) are confusing. As an example, a lot of times people don't know that UFPS doesn't include melee weapons. We agree and are reworking the structure. We will now only have three variants at release:
UFPS
Third Person Controller
Ultimate Character Controller
UFPS includes a first person perspective with all items. TPC includes a third person perspective with all items. The Ultimate Character Controller includes both perspectives and all items. Simple.
Price
Version 3 is a major update and we have spent significant development resources creating it so there will be an upgrade cost. If you purchased the character controller within 3 months of the release the upgrade will be free. If you purchased it earlier than that it will be a 50% upgrade fee.
The regular price of the Ultimate Character Controller will be $250. This means that the cost to upgrade will be $125. If you purchased a variant that will not be in version 3 (such as the First Person Controller) you will be able to upgrade to the next best-variant for version 3. For example with the First Person Controller you will be able to upgrade to UFPS for 50% off the UFPS price. UFPS will have its price increased to $125. There will also be appropriate upgrades set if you would like to upgrade to the Ultimate Character Controller from a lower variant.
If you purchased on the Asset Store and would like to upgrade to the pre-release on the Opsive Store you can send me a PM with your invoice number and I'll generate a coupon.
VR Add-On
We will not be updating the VR Add-On for version 3 at this time. The Unity VR setup has changed since the initial release and we do not have the most recent hardware in order to be able to continue to support it. If you purchased the VR Add-On in the past three months and would like a refund please get in contact with us.
Feel free to post any questions below. I have been following the version 3 request thread and unfortunately some requested items aren't able to make the initial release. Similar to version 2 we plan on actively updating and maintaining the controller so they could show up sooner rather than later.
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