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Independent game developers - making Avoyd


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Avoyd FAQ


Troubleshooting

Contact us if you can't find the answer you're looking for.

What is Avoyd?

Avoyd has two main functions: Voxel Editor and Game. You'll find more information, including the Avoyd features list and user documentation on www.avoyd.com. To try Avoyd out yourself, download the Avoyd demo from our store.


What is the difference between the Avoyd release streams Full, Beta and Demo?

Download the Avoyd release from our store or, if you are logged in and own Avoyd, from your Library.

Comparison table of the three Avoyd release streams Full, Beta and Demo:
Avoyd Stream Full Beta Demo
Price Paid Paid, included with Full Free
Commercial Use ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ❌ No
Release Schedule Every 1 to 3 months Fast: every 1 to 30 days (1*) Slow: every 3 to 12 months
Features All All + New in development Delayed
Stability Stable Prototype Stable
Documentation Up to date New features and changes may be undocumented. May be out of sync. or no longer apply.

(1* with the occasional longer breaks due to larger features, and as we are only two developers.)

If you would like more details see the devlog post about the Beta release stream.


How do I get started with the Avoyd Voxel Editor?

Learn the basics by following the Introductory Tutorial and the online user documentation - tutoriel et documentation en français.

If you can't find answers or have any questions about how to use Avoyd, visit the Avoyd Support forums or contact us.


Is Avoyd available in languages other than English?

Not presently as the functionality and the user interface are in flux.

Avoyd n'est pas disponible en français mais le tutoriel d'introduction et une partie de la documentation de l'éditeur de voxels sont publiés en ligne.


How can I follow Avoyd's development progress?

There are several ways to follow our work:


How can I support the development of Avoyd?

There are several ways to support our work on Avoyd and our open source projects.


When will Avoyd be finished?

We plan to carry on crafting Avoyd over time, evolving and updating it continuously.

We started working on Avoyd in 1999, selling the game as shareware. It was, to our knowledge, the first game with an entirely editable environment (destruction and building). After a 10 year break we restarted development in 2012, rewriting the game engine from scratch and evolving the concept to take advantage of technological advances.

Whilst the game is unfinished, the voxel editor is already very usable. To reflect this we sell Avoyd at a reduced price. You can download the full feature demo of Avoyd on our website, with the Voxel Editor component and the game prototypes Wander and Skirmish available to use.

You'll find detailed information about each release of Avoyd in the changelog and our News forum. We also publish an email newsletter.


What inspired Avoyd?

The original Avoyd we now call Avoyd 1999 (you can download it free from our site), Quite's haunting zeo-x-s demo, Rez (Area 4 in particular), FPSs we've liked to play like Unreal Tournament, Descent, and much more.


What engine and technologies are used for Avoyd?

Avoyd runs on our in-house voxel game engine written in C++ using OpenGL, developed by Doug Binks and Juliette Foucaut.

To follow our progress with the game technology, see the Game Tech topic on our devlog, our public posts on Patreon and follow @dougbinks and @juulcat on Mastodon.

We open source parts of our engine:

We use third-party open-sourced software listed below. Many thanks to the authors and maintainers of these libraries.


What are the system requirements for Avoyd?

Platform: PC Windows

Controls: mouse and keyboard

Minimum Specification:


Will Avoyd be available on platforms other than Windows PC, such as Linux or Mac?

We do not plan to port Avoyd to Mac OS, Linux nor consoles for the foreseeable future.

The reasons for this decision are many: the underlying technology for Avoyd is multiplatform and we have tested making a Mac and Linux build. We also maintain several open source multiplatform libraries so have a good idea of how much effort is required to release cross platform software. The overheads of maintaining a port of a complex graphics application are high, especially as feature development is ongoing. It's relatively easy to break a build on one platform/hardware combo in a way a simple smoke test won't detect. Additionally we don't have a Mac which can run Avoyd (we use a old Mac to maintain the Mac versions of our open source libraries), and we don't think we'd make back the cost of buying one if we made a Mac version. We know the primary feature set we want for the Avoyd Voxel Editor and Game, and once these come together we'll reassess. If sales pick up before then we also might reassess. Finally, we're always happy to hear peoples thoughts on this.


Will Avoyd be single, multiplayer...?

The Voxel Editor will support networked editing: in future you will be able to build voxel worlds with friends.

The game will support both single-player and cooperative multiplayer (pve). We're pondering whether to include pvp team multiplayer or not; currently we think we won't in the early versions of the game.


Will it be possible to play offline / over a LAN?

Yes, you'll be able to play on your own without an internet connection, or once networking support is enabled with friends over a LAN or the Internet.


Will I be able to host my own server?

At some point we will release a stand alone server, so you'll be able to run it and invite people to connect to the game you are playing.


Is Avoyd DRM free?

Yes, some functionality may require a valid user account, but we plan to ensure the game can work even if services are unavailable.


Why does the Avoyd Licence Agreement exclude NFTs?

For ethical reasons - NFTs are environmentally unsound, the technology offers no benefit over a simple contract or license and they are frequently scams.

There is a lot of information available on this, but the following article gives a succinct overview.


Can I publish screenshots, videos etc. of Avoyd?

Yes, you can freely use and publish any images, videos etc based on Avoyd. We would just appreciate a mention, and if you want to send us a link, we'd love to see what you've made!


My PC uses a lot of power (CPU heats up, fans are loud) when I use Avoyd, how can I fix this?


I get a warning saying Avoyd could be a virus, what should I do?

You're likely seeing a standard warning about programs which have not been downloaded by millions of people. The Avoyd executables are virus checked and signed with our company Enkisoftware Limited's digital certificate. The certificates are delivered by an independent provider: Sectigo.

What you can do to check the downloaded file is safe to open or execute:

  1. Always download files to your Windows PC User Downloads folder.
  2. Always Scan downloaded files with Windows Defender before opening them: right click on the file (in Win 11 select Show more options) and select Scan with Microsoft Defender.
  3. Check the Avoyd certificate:
    • Right click on the Avoyd executable file. Select Properties and then the Digital Signatures tab. You will see these lines:
      Name of signer: Digest algorithm Timestamp
      Enkisoftware Limited sha1 06 May 2022 16:35:45 (example timestamp)
      Enkisoftware Limited sha256 06 May 2022 16:35:51 (example timestamp)
    • Select one of the lines and click on 'Details' then on 'View Certificate':
      Issued to: Enkisoftware Limited
      Issued by: Sectigo Public Code Signing CA EV R36
    • Select Issuer Statement for more information from the Sectigo website