Not a huge release as far as bugfixes are concerned, but it resolves some issues relating to saving resources along with issues related to using Mono. In addition, the issue of Android exports being out of compliance with Google is resolved.
The UI looks far better than the old node editor in 2.x, I guess it was a given considering that it was completely redone for the introduction of visual scripting.
Keep the awesome features coming (as with Blender, Godot as a FOSS project is fortunate to have such an experienced programmer as a core developer).
This time, the UI and workflow is much improved and it is now far easier to create a complete material with diffuse, specular, and other effects. You can use scripting to create your own nodes too.
Like usual, they ask once again to consider becoming one of their Patrons (because the recent stuff youāre seeing in this thread is because of the funds they are getting).
Among the improvements is far better slope handling, automated slope detection (meaning the character would have difficulty on slopes higher than a user specified angle), and improved handling of moving platforms (no more sliding). The same improvements will eventually come to the 3D engine as well (but not until after these get a good round of testing).
What this does is introduce concepts such as variable types being static and other things borrowed from C# (while avoiding a major increase in complexity). This is totally optional and existing scripts will work as they always have.
As I mentioned, typed GDscript has a little more of a learning curve than just doing keeping everything dynamic, but itās still lower than GDnative and C#. The article also mentions that even Python can do some of these things as well (so itās still similar enough that a lot of Python knowledge will carry over).
Benefits (should you choose) include better code completion, better highlighting, less potential for creating bugs, and potentially higher performance for game logic.
For those with older hardware, the GLES2 renderer being worked on now has full support for lights and shadows among other features. Not only that, the final merge is coming up quite soon and Godot development in general is starting on the final stretch to an official 3.1 testing build.
In short, all projects are going well. The one that will likely have the most immediate and widespread interest is the progress on the Blender Exporter (which is now nearing feature-parity with the Better Collada addon and is able to convert Cycles materials). Not only that, but plans are to be able to convert Eevee materials as well (so you will be able to get a much better impression in Blender as to how everything will look in Godot).
3.0.5 improves glTF importing, crash fixes, and fixes related to the use of C#. 2.1.5 is the larger release with many smaller features added and tons of bugfixes.
To note once again, Godot 2.1.x releases will continue until version 3.1 is released (when GLES2 becomes available).
This means itās now possible to procedurally change poses as part of gameplay (ie. a character holding and then carrying an item). This furthers the major leap in animation tech. in 3.1 (adding to the new animation editor, animation nodes, and partial/full ragdolls).
Just an FYI for those curious of the whereabouts of a better way to export Blender assets and levels to Godot. The Blender exporter has been seeing quite a bit of progress in the last month.
As you will notice, we have both the GSoC student and one of our former BGE users as primary developers. Itās not complete, but the logs suggest that some export cases are already functional.
Godot 3.1 will now have a more complete implementation of Bullet than the BGE ever had (though UPBGE added a few more things). The fully working softbodies would prove that.
Thatās not to mention, Bulletās cylinder bounds type is in Godot 3.1 as well. physics materials too (but they didnāt get their own article).
How is Godotās strength based axis handling evolving?
I am pretty new to godot, could make a sphere go for a walk. But I do not know how to do something more complicated. Like making Oicho react to HUD inputs.
Oicho will appear on theatre stage with actors. Atm, Oicho would appear inside pre-rendered video. But it would be a big difference, if Oicho could interact directly with the actors, with a game engine behind.
The goal of the siteās owner is to provide quality learning content for doing 3D games in Godot, so itās not like the community isnāt doing anything.
No official testing builds on the main site yet, but the daily builds site already has copies at that revision and Godot in general should only get more stable with less bugs from this point.