Multiplayer Foundation Progress
Night of the Breach - Development Update
Tonight was one of the biggest technical breakthrough sessions we've had on the project so far.
Our primary goal was to get the new multiplayer foundation working with Advanced Sessions and Steam integration. What started as a simple multiplayer setup quickly turned into a deep dive through Unreal Engine build systems, plugin compatibility issues, packaging failures, Steam subsystem configuration, and menu logic. While the road was rough, the end result was a major win for the project.
Multiplayer Foundation Progress
We successfully completed the initial multiplayer menu implementation.
The Main Menu now includes the core hosting and joining functionality required for multiplayer testing. The Start Game flow has been integrated with the Advanced Sessions plugin and is now capable of creating a multiplayer session before loading the game map.
This is the first major step toward allowing remote players to join a host game without requiring direct IP connections or manual port forwarding.
Major Packaging Issue Resolved
The largest obstacle of the night was a packaging failure that completely prevented the game from building.
After extensive investigation, we tracked the issue down to a mismatch between Unreal Engine build configurations and the Advanced Sessions plugin. The project and plugin were generating incompatible precompiled headers, causing repeated compiler failures and preventing packaged builds from being created.
We performed a full cleanup of project build artifacts, regenerated project files, updated project build settings, rebuilt plugin modules, and successfully restored the packaging pipeline.
For the first time since beginning multiplayer integration, the game successfully packaged into a standalone build.
This was a major milestone because multiplayer testing cannot happen until packaged builds are functioning correctly.
Session Creation Investigation
After packaging was restored, we discovered that the packaged build would launch correctly, but clicking Start Game appeared to do nothing.
A deep audit of the menu system revealed two separate issues:
Session creation failure paths were terminating execution without allowing the game to continue.
Packaged map cooking configuration was using short map names rather than full asset paths.
Both issues were corrected.
The Start Game button now successfully transitions from the Main Menu into the playable cabin level in a packaged build.
Steam Integration Progress
Steam Overlay is now functioning in packaged builds.
This confirms that Steam is properly attaching to the game and provides a solid foundation for upcoming multiplayer connection tests.
Additional validation is still required to confirm full session creation and player-to-player connectivity, but the underlying Steam integration is now significantly further along than it was at the beginning of the session.
Current Status
Completed
Advanced Sessions installed and compiling
Advanced Steam Sessions installed and compiling
Steam Overlay functioning
Packaging system repaired
Project build configuration repaired
Main Menu multiplayer flow implemented
Start Game button functioning in packaged builds
Cabin level successfully loading from packaged builds
Multiplayer hosting framework established
Next Testing Phase
The next major milestone is the first true multiplayer connection test.
Upcoming testing will focus on:
Host session creation
Session discovery
Join Game functionality
Two-player connectivity
Character replication
Weapon replication
Zombie replication
Wave system replication
Multiplayer gameplay validation
Final Thoughts
This was one of the most productive technical nights we've had on the project. We moved beyond editor-only testing and reached the point where the game can now be packaged, launched, and transitioned into gameplay through the multiplayer menu system.
There is still work ahead before multiplayer is fully operational, but tonight established the foundation that future networking features will be built upon.
For the first time, Night of the Breach is beginning to resemble a true multiplayer game rather than a single-player prototype.
The next step is simple:
Get a second player connected.
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