diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index 036c048aa1..53b5f13d41 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -1,44 +1,82 @@
+#---------------------------------#
+#      general configuration      #
+#---------------------------------#
+
+# version format
 version: '0.0.3-{build}'
 
-os: Visual Studio 2015
-platform: x64
-clone_folder: C:\rpcs3
-clone_depth: 3
-test: off
+#---------------------------------#
+#    environment configuration    #
+#---------------------------------#
 
-configuration:
-# Release
- - ReleaseLLVM
+# Build worker image (VM template)
+image: Visual Studio 2015
 
-before_build:
- - ps: $env:Date="$(git show -s --date=short --format='%ad')"
- - git submodule update --init 3rdparty/ffmpeg 3rdparty/pugixml asmjit 3rdparty/GSL 3rdparty/libpng Vulkan/glslang Vulkan/Vulkan-LoaderAndValidationLayers Utilities/yaml-cpp 3rdparty/cereal 3rdparty/zlib 3rdparty/hidapi 3rdparty/Optional
- - 7z x zlib.7z -aos -oC:\rpcs3\ > null
- - 7z x vulkan.7z -aos -oC:\rpcs3\Vulkan > null
- - set BRANCH=%APPVEYOR_REPO_NAME%/%APPVEYOR_REPO_BRANCH%/#%APPVEYOR_PULL_REQUEST_NUMBER%
- - if "%APPVEYOR_PULL_REQUEST_NUMBER%"=="" (set BRANCH=%APPVEYOR_REPO_NAME%/%APPVEYOR_REPO_BRANCH%)
- - set CXXFLAGS=-DBRANCH=%BRANCH%
- - if %configuration%==Release (cmake -G "Visual Studio 14 Win64" -DZLIB_ROOT=C:/rpcs3/zlib/ -DVULKAN_PREBUILT=ON)
-   else (7z x llvmlibs.7z -aos -oC:\rpcs3 > null && cmake -G "Visual Studio 14 Win64" -DLLVM_DIR=C:/rpcs3/llvm_build/lib/cmake/llvm -DZLIB_ROOT=C:/rpcs3/zlib/ -DVULKAN_PREBUILT=ON)
+# clone directory
+clone_folder: c:\projects\rpcs3
 
-build_script:
- - cmake --build . --config Release -- /logger:"C:\Program Files\AppVeyor\BuildAgent\Appveyor.MSBuildLogger.dll"
+# set clone depth
+clone_depth: 3                    # clone entire repository history if not defined
 
-install:
- - if not exist llvmlibs.7z appveyor DownloadFile "https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B8A6NaxhQAGRY2k3Q2Yya05lcm8" -FileName llvmlibs.7z
- - if not exist vulkan.7z appveyor DownloadFile "https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B8A6NaxhQAGRaHYxV3VOS2d0a0U" -FileName vulkan.7z
- - if not exist zlib.7z appveyor DownloadFile "https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B-HVE3xvheVFX05lRFdnZlh5aUU" -FileName zlib.7z
- - set QTDIR=C:\Qt\5.8\msvc2015_64
- - set OPENALDIR=C:\rpcs3\3rdparty\OpenAL
- - set PATH=C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\14.0\Bin;%QTDIR%;%PATH%
- - set COMMIT_SHA=%APPVEYOR_REPO_COMMIT:~0,8%
-
-artifacts:
- - path: bin
-   name: 'rpcs3-v0.0.3-$(Date)-$(COMMIT_SHA)_win64'
-   type: zip
+# environment variables
+environment:
+  QTDIR: C:\Qt\5.9.1\msvc2015_64
 
+# build cache to preserve files/folders between builds
 cache:
  - llvmlibs.7z -> appveyor.yml
  - vulkan.7z -> appveyor.yml
- - zlib.7z -> appveyor.yml
+
+# scripts that run after cloning repository
+install:
+ - git submodule update --init 3rdparty/cereal 3rdparty/ffmpeg 3rdparty/GSL 3rdparty/hidapi 3rdparty/libpng 3rdparty/Optional 3rdparty/pugixml 3rdparty/zlib asmjit Utilities/yaml-cpp Vulkan/glslang Vulkan/Vulkan-LoaderAndValidationLayers
+
+#---------------------------------#
+#       build configuration       #
+#---------------------------------#
+
+# build platform, i.e. x86, x64, Any CPU. This setting is optional.
+platform: x64
+
+# build Configuration, i.e. Debug, Release, etc.
+configuration: Release - LLVM
+
+build:
+  parallel: true                  # enable MSBuild parallel builds
+  project: rpcs3.sln              # path to Visual Studio solution or project
+  # MSBuild verbosity level
+  verbosity: normal
+
+# scripts to run before build
+before_build:
+ - set BRANCH=%APPVEYOR_REPO_NAME%/%APPVEYOR_REPO_BRANCH%/#%APPVEYOR_PULL_REQUEST_NUMBER%
+ - if "%APPVEYOR_PULL_REQUEST_NUMBER%"=="" (set BRANCH=%APPVEYOR_REPO_NAME%/%APPVEYOR_REPO_BRANCH%)
+ - set PATH=%PATH%;%QTDIR%
+ - if not exist llvmlibs.7z appveyor DownloadFile "https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B8A6NaxhQAGRY2k3Q2Yya05lcm8" -FileName llvmlibs.7z
+ - 7z x llvmlibs.7z -aos -o%APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER% > null
+ - if not exist vulkan.7z appveyor DownloadFile "https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B8A6NaxhQAGRaHYxV3VOS2d0a0U" -FileName vulkan.7z
+ - 7z x vulkan.7z -aos -o"%APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER%\lib\%CONFIGURATION%-%PLATFORM%" > null
+
+# scripts to run *after* solution is built and *before* automatic packaging occurs (web apps, NuGet packages, Azure Cloud Services)
+before_package:
+  - rm %APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER%\bin\rpcs3.exp
+  - rm %APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER%\bin\rpcs3.lib
+  - rm %APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER%\bin\rpcs3.pdb
+  - set COMMIT_DATE=%APPVEYOR_REPO_COMMIT_TIMESTAMP:~0,10%
+  - set COMMIT_SHA=%APPVEYOR_REPO_COMMIT:~0,8%
+
+#---------------------------------#
+#       tests configuration       #
+#---------------------------------#
+
+# to disable automatic tests
+test: off
+
+#---------------------------------#
+#      artifacts configuration    #
+#---------------------------------#
+
+# pushing entire folder as a zip archive
+artifacts:
+ - path: bin
+   name: 'rpcs3-v0.0.3-$(COMMIT_DATE)-$(COMMIT_SHA)_win64'