The Gemstone of Balance and Other Stories (GGame Engine)

by Gary Arndt


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What is this?
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This document is intended to provide notes on any critical topics such as critical bug fixes, provide any notable information about given release versions, explain the different documentation that is available, and cover any other topics that do not belong elsewhere.

Reading this document is not required to play the game, but it is recommended that you scan through the following summary of topics.

Critical topics:
- The party mode disband option has been fixed so that it properly saves that having been done
- A party system is now largely implemented and available for demo purposes in scenario 2; refer to the later dedicated section for details.  !!!IMPORTANT: While significant progress has been made, some aspects of the party system feature are still very much INCOMPLETE and so do NOT add a character who will join the party unless you want to demo the incomplete version of the feature!

Other topics of note:
- A variety of general fixes and enhancements have been made; refer to the release notes section for more details.

Older critical topics:
(These are all included in the current baseline release 240720/240715)
- The desert dungeon is no longer incomplete; refer to the release notes section for more details.
- A new command has been added to move NPC's in case they are in the way (Control-M, "Move NPC").  Refer to this section for more details.
- Inventory is now displayed in a more logical order for both display and selection purposes.  Further, it can now also be rearranged.
- The area with the final battle has been updated so that the battles there work more correctly
- The NPC in the desert town with some key information now clarifies some vital points with regards to the two separate subjects he addresses.  If you are having difficulty with anything in that area, try speaking to him again.
- There is now a significant series of new, additional hints to make it much more clear as to how to find a hidden location that is required to complete the main quest (SPOILER: the hidden mountains location).  If you already have a game in progress and are having any problems finding this location, refer to this section for more details.
- Ships sometimes seem to mysteriously disappear.  This is not a bug, but rather part of the game.  More specifically, this is due to dangers such as whirlpools.  A more feasible solution to avoid destruction of a ship has now been implemented.  Refer to this section for more details.
- Named saves now use just one single file rather than a directory (although the older approach is still also supported)
- Bug fix: Attribute increases (such as those given at particular locations) cause values such as AB, AC, DDB, or saving throws to decrease instead of increase (in earlier versions).  This bug has been fixed and so reading this section is only important if you ran into this bug in an earlier version and have an existing save that you would like to transfer to this version.
- Bug fix: Exiting some dungeons goes to the wrong destination (in earlier versions).  This bug has been fixed and so reading this section is only important if you ran into this bug in an earlier version and have an existing save that you would like to transfer to this version.

Recommended topics:
- Documentation

Other topics:
- Release notes overview
- Release notes
- Transferring saves and save compatibility
- Unfinished features


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Party system
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For those unfamiliar, a party system is a group of player characters (PC's) rather than just one.  This means the game now has the ability to support more than a singular PC, although a singular PC is still fully supported in exactly the same manner as before.
 
The party system is now largely implemented and available for demo purposes in scenario 2.  To activate this, ask an NPC who will join you to do so (and thus become a PC party member).

While significant progress has been made, many aspects of the party system feature are still very much INCOMPLETE and so many things will not work as expected.  Do NOT add this character unless you want to demo the incomplete version of the feature!

If a given scenario supports a party, then the following change is made:
- The 'P' command becomes "party" rather than "pass".  Use the help (F1) command for details.

The addition of the party system means there are now 3 distinct modes in the game:
- Singular PC
- A party of 1 or more PC's that are grouped together ("unsplit")
- A party of 1 or more PC's that are NOT grouped together ("split")

A singular PC without a party will behave in exactly the same manner as before.

An unsplit party is similar to a singular PC but treated slightly differently:
- Entering some maps results in the party being automatically split.  Combat maps are one such situation.
- Many options in the party command ('P') become available
- Most behaviors in the game will affect what is called the "active character", which can be switched with the party set commands.  For example, if you want another character to talk to someone, then you would first switch to that character.
- Commands are used in the context of the active character
- Food will be used up for each character
- Resting will apply to the entire group
- The party option to manually split/unsplit becomes available in some situations
- There may be a few additional differences that still need to implemented (more testing needs to be done to discover these)

A split party is in many ways similar to a singular PC but treated differently:
- Each character takes a turn.  When the next character turns starts, a "ping" will be shown on the character along with a text being displayed.
- On some maps the characters must all exit before the map ends.  The first character to do so determines the exit in question and the rest must follow (so that the party would not be fractured into multiple groups in different locations or even different maps).
- On each turn, the character becomes the current active character.  Most standard commands are still fully supported.
- Party members may in some cases end up stacked onto the same position.  When this is the case, it may appear that party members are missing, but they are there.  Only the party member highest in the party list will be able to act.  This character must move before the next highest party member is able to act.  This represents such things as the other characters being underneath when going up a ladder (or above when going down), not having fully exited a vehicle, not having completely entered a room, or simply being so crowded that they cannot do anything except wait.
- The party will be automatically unsplit when entering a vehicle, and correspondingly split when exiting the vehicle.  The allows vehicles to be supported even when currently on a map that enforces split mode.
- You can do a Look command on another party member and receive information that is specific to doing so.

The party command is very important, as it allows access to a large variety of party-related options.  As noted earlier, use the help (F1) command for details, but here are a few more details:
- If you have trouble determining which character is currently active, use the manual ping option ('P' for the party command then 'P' again for the ping option).  This will not only work when the party is split, but will also display the active character when the party is unsplit.
- The active character can be changed manually when unsplit.  This is such an important operation that quick keys for the first 15 characters in the party are provided to do so (although must be preceded by the party 'P' command).  These are keys 1-9 and A-F.  For example, to active character 1 you would press 'P' and then afterwards press '1'.  A-F are used in base 16 numbering (a computer concept) to mean 10-15, so it seemed somehow appropriate to use them for those characters (if a party happens to be that large).  In the unlikely event that your party includes more than 15 chatacters and/or in the much more likely event that you want a list of characters to choose from, you can do so with the '0' (number zero) key (after the 'P' party key, of course).
- The list option shows a summary of the party
- As mentioned earlier, there is a manual split/unsplit option (which one is the opposite of the current state).  This is not allowed in many other cases.  The intended purpose is to use all characters on maps where you begin unsplit but may encounter a battle and require the help of all of the characters.  Once the threat is apparent, then the split option will become available.  When you are done dealing with the threat, it may be helpful to go back to the original party state by using the unsplit option.
- The split option presents an option for HOW to split that is determined by one of the standard direction keys, an arrow or the spacebar for "here".  The characters are layed out in the standard manner facing the given direction.  "here" will stack all the characters on the same position.
- The unsplit option requires all characters to be in close proximity and will unsplit to the current char
- The options menu includes the ability to reorder the party, remove a character, delete a character, disband the party, and create a party
- Disbanding a party is useful if you only have a single party member remaining in your party and prefer to play in singular character mode
- Creating a party manually is only useful if you prefer to play in party mode with a single character; it is NOT necessary otherwise, as characters who join the party will automatically cause the party to be created
- A removed character differs from a deleted character.  A removed character is asking a character to leave the party and results in the character becoming an NPC.  Such an NPC may well be willing to join the party again at a later time.  There are many restrictions on removing a character (some of which include the character not being considered a main character such as one you created yourself but rather one than joined and thus has an NPC definition, not being the active character, and not being in a dangerous situation).
- A deleted character disappears entirely from the game never to be seen again (except, of course, if you reload a game that was saved before this was done).  There are far fewer restrictions on deleting a character than removing a character (the most significant one being that you can't delete the last remaining main character).
- The stats options (Z and Control-Z) are also available from the party menu in case you want to look at another character's stats while they are currently unavailable to be selected as the active character (such as when in split mode or if the character in question is dead).  The only difference from the standard commands is that you are prompted to specify the party member of interest and thus are able to access this information anytime.
- An inventory trade option is available to swap inventory between characters.  The command will prompt for the character to take the item from and the active character is the character that will receive the item.  Note that this in a convenience that avoids having to drop/get items on the ground and also allows retrieving inventory from a dead or otherwise incapacitated character.

Party-related functionality that is not yet implemented as of this note:
- Many special situations in the game use a mechanism called "scripting".  There are a very large number of scripts in scenario 2 that are currently only set up to handle a singular character but need to be enhanced to also support a potential party.  A few of these may even break the scenario (so you'd have to disband the party to continue or avoid the map or position where this happens).  There is at least 1 dungeon room (in the arctic dungeon) where you could potentially be trapped.  Again, this is ONLY a problem when using a party; using a single character will still work fine.
- A large amount of testing remains along with any subsequent implementation that is needed as a result of any issues found

Lastly, if you want to know where an NPC is at that will join, then here is the spoiler for that:

!!! SPOILER: There is now more than one NPC in the game that will join, but the particular one that will be detailed here is named "Fen".  He is a figher located in the Seaport arena basement level in a room to the SW.  He will give hints that he wants to join the party.  Once you use that keyword ("join") he will do so IF you are at least level 5.  If you need to remove him from your party, he will be willing to rejoin you later.  You can use the "disband" option (in the party command options menu) to go back to single player mode afterwards (or simply reload a save that was from before he joined).  Note that the disband option has been fixed so that it now properly saves that having been done.  (For those interested, I have been using Fen repeatedly for decades as a party NPC in tabletop games I run so it made perfect sense he should do the same in my CRPG, as well :) )


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An NPC is in the way due to random movement and such
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In some locations an NPC may be in the way due to random movement (or special movement such as that of merchants).  During playtesting this has always been resolved simply by waiting until the NPC randomly moves out of the way (using the spacebar to pass turns).  Note that in some cases it was first necessary to move into a position where the NPC is willing to wander out of the way; a merchant tries to follow if you get close but wanders if you are farther away.  That said, in theory there could be cases where the problem is a critical one because the PC becomes trapped entirely.

Regardless of the severity, a solution has been implemented with a new command called "Move NPC" that is used by selecting Control-M.  The prompts guide you through the process, but generally you first select the NPC and then the direction in which you want the NPC to move.  If you need to move the NPC to where you are standing (which is valid given that it is sometimes necessary), then you must also select the direction where you want to move.

Note that there may be some locations where an NPC is intentionally in the way.  When this is the case it will be obvious and the NPC unwilling to move.

The assumption is that you are in some way asking or prompting the NPC to move; you are not forcing the NPC to move.  Therefore, the NPC must be willing and able to move.

More specifically, the command only works under the following conditions:
- The NPC is non-hostile
- The NPC is willing to move at all (some always stay in one place)
- The NPC is not in combat
- The position is not blocked, and the NPC is willing and able to move onto the terrain in question
- The position is not farther away than the NPC would normally move
- The NPC movement is not disabled by conditions such as delay, sleep, stun, entangle, etc.

If any of those conditions are not met, the specific issue will be reported and the NPC will not move.  Note that a very common situation is when an NPC will not move because it is delayed when moving through slow terrain such as a door, chair, bench, etc..

Some examples of where this command can be used are politely asking a friendly peasant to move out of the way or prompting a cat to move out of the way.  You can NOT tell an enemy orc to move, however.  You can NOT tell a merchant to move out of the associated store.

The command name starting with the term "Move" (and thus Control-M) was selected because it is possible it may be enhanced further in the future to also allow moving other things such as items (rather than having to pick them up and set them down again).  However, this has not yet been integrated into the manual or the keymap system since it is so new that the name and corresponding default key are not yet absolutely certain (although it will most likely remain as it is).


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Difficulty finding the hidden mountains location
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WARNING: This section contains spoilers

Versions of the game previous to the changes described here DO contain some hints as to how to find the hidden mountains location required to complete the main quest.  However, it turns out that if you have explored in one particular order then the most clear of these hints will not yet be available (for logical reasons).  If you then dismiss this area as having already been explored and do not go back, you will never come across this hint which means that finding the hidden mountains location is likely to be extremely difficult.

This was a problem, not an intentional part of the scenario design, so a solution was needed.  The one that was selected was to add a significant series of new, additional hints to make it much more clear as to how to find the hidden location.

If you have been having any trouble finding the location, try going back to one of the hidden natural places spoken of by some of the NPC's.  If this does not tell you what you need to know, make sure that you have been to more than one of these locations.

Note that the original hints were not removed; the change is a series of new, additional hints.

As an aside, note that this solution also has the benefits of adding more significance to the other hidden natural locations and connecting them even more fully to the main plot.


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Ships sometimes seem to mysteriously disappear
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Did you leave your ship and come back later to find that it was gone?

This is actually not a bug, but rather the issue is that a whirlpool or storm destroyed the ship while you were gone.  This was an intentional part of the game design, but unfortunately it turns out that it made some areas too difficult (for example, when trying to explore the arctic region and having to leave a ship on the shore near several whirlpools).

Therefore, two changes have been made:
1: Magic has been added that can be used to protect unboarded vehicles from dangers such as whirlpools and storms
2: A message will be displayed (along with a sound) if an unboarded vehicle is destroyed even if you cannot see that vehicle

The magic consists of both a new spell and a new magic wand.  The spell can be bought from the arcane spell merchant and the wand can be bought from the shipwright or found as a part of random treasure.  In either case, the result is a magic barrier that is generated by casting onto an unboarded vehicle when standing adjacent to it.  The spell and item also include a message that explains how to dismiss the barrier.

The message helps by letting you know immediately if you may need to consider reloading from an older save.  Obviously, using the magic is the real solution, but this is intended to prevent losing any progress in the game should you forget to protect your ship.


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Enhancement: Named saves now use just one single file rather than a directory
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The first thing that should be mentioned right away is that the older approach is still also supported; existing named saves using the old format may still be loaded.

Anyway, named saves in older versions used a directory of files.  A significant enhancement has now been implemented that causes a save to instead be done as just one single file.  This file is called a "combined file" and includes the content of all the files that would previously have been separate in a directory.

Further, the main menu special options menu (F2) now includes tools to work with combined files (combine, uncombine, verify/compare, etc.).  For example, you can now convert old save games from the old directory-based format to the new single file format.

The purpose of the new format is to avoid various disadvantages of saves having many small, separate files (particularly when the number of files increases more and more as you get further and further into the game).  Some disadvantages include that they are harder to work with for purposes of backups, they can in some cases take up more file storage space, and in general they can be more cumbersome to manage outside of the game program.  For example, in the process of testing I do backups to an SD card, but the minimum size on that device is much higher than most of the individual files so the net total space used has been vastly higher than the actual sum of the actual file sizes.  Another example is that every time I have been running my backup tool there have been a huge number of files being processed.

All load options will check for both the old and new formats, so there is no problem loading saves done using the old format.

If for some reason you wish to go back to the old directory-based format for saving, this is still available by setting a configuration file (scenario1.dat) new option as "CFSAVE: 0".

One more point to be clear is that this enhancement only applies to NAMED save games, NOT the current/default save.


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Bug fix: Attribute increases cause AB, AC, DDB, or saving throws to decrease instead of increase
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In an earlier version, did you go to a special location where it said that your attributes had increased but then discovered that your AB, AC, DDB, or saving throw values actually DECREASED?

Released versions prior to 230822 contained a bug that caused any attribute increase to decrease the related values (AB, etc.) by ignoring level (effectively assuming a level 0 character when making the increases to these values rather than any higher level).  This is now fixed.

That said, a related fix was also made at the same time.  The problem is that the incorrect, decreased values could potentially have been included in saves that are in progress done from old versions (this is the case if your save is at a point where you have already had the attribute increase and your AB, AC, DDB, and/or saving throws are lower than before the attribute increase).

To solve this potential problem, a special option to fix (recalculate) values that have been decreased is now included.  The save itself is not directly modified, but rather the changes are made after such a save has been loaded (although if you use the default save rather than named saves, do not forget it is automatically saved over in a variety of situations such as many of the map changes, so you may want to back it up before proceeding).

Further details about the fix and when to use it are displayed when the option is selected (and it should be noted that it is possible to cancel the option if you decide not to proceed).

To access this option:
- Make sure the problematic save game is available in this version (making old saves available to use in a new version is explained in a separate section later in this document)
- Start the game and load that save game
- Go to the options menu (F2)
- Select "Advanced options" (F2 again)
- Select "Bug fix options" ('B')
- Select "Recalculate attribute-related values" ("2")
- Read the text explaining the various details
- If you still want to apply the fix (which will probably be the case), then select yes ('Y'), otherwise press any other key to cancel
- Check your AB, AC, DDB, and saving throws; they should now be correct (the same or higher than before the attribute increase)
- Consider saving the game

Further notes about this option:
- The text with the option explains all of the important points of what you need to know to apply it, but is a general solution so does not addressing any specific situations
- (WARNING: This note contains spoilers.)  One of the primary ways this bug can show up is in scenario 2 to go to the special position at the end of the south path on lowest (overhead) level of the lava dungeon, the special location in the desert, or the special location in the arctic.
- I apologize for the inconvenience if you ran into this bug.  I've designed the game very carefully, but it is extremely complex and therefore bugs can sometimes appear.  This is one of the bugs that was not discovered in playtesting because the mechanism was implemented a long time ago and some changes had apparently been made since the last time it was playtested, it typically only happens very late in scenario 2 when a character is powerful enough to explore these difficult areas, and that particular situation had not been tested in a while due to my having limited time to test that far into the game on a regular basis.

Further details:
- These are non-critical details, but may be helpful if you want or need further clarification
- Remember that this fixes the problem in an active game from an old save; the problem will not reappear since the actual source of the problem has been fixed in the newer versions.  (Of course, it WILL reappear if you reload the old save again; like any change when playing the game, it only applies to the active game session and any new saves done based on that session.)


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Bug fix: Exiting some dungeons goes to the wrong destination
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In an earlier version, did you enter a dungeon far north of Seaport, fall into a pit, and when you tried to exit the dungeon you instead appeared at the top of the pit?

Released versions prior to 230522 contained a bug that caused exiting some dungeons (those with map-based pits) to go to the wrong location.  This is now fixed.

That said, versions 230601 and later contain a related fix.  The problem is that an incorrect position could potentially have been included in saves that are in progress done from old versions (this is the case if your save is at a point where you have already entered one of these dungeons and have been unable to leave).

To solve this potential problem, a special option to fix saves that have the wrong location is now included.  The save itself is not directly modified, but rather the changes are made after such a save has been loaded (although if you use the default save rather than named saves, do not forget it is automatically saved over in a variety of situations such as many of the map changes, so you may want to back it up before proceeding).

Further details about the fix and when to use it are displayed when the option is selected (and it should be noted that it is possible to cancel the option if you decide not to proceed).

To access this option:
- Make sure the problematic save game is available in this version (making old saves available to use in a new version is explained in a separate section later in this document)
- Start the game and load that save game
- If you are not there already, move to a position near the exit of the dungeon and consider resaving the game in case you have to attempt a second step (detailed later) so you don't have to come back again but can simply reload
- Go to the options menu (F2)
- Select "Advanced options" (F2 again)
- Select "Bug fix options" ('B')
- Select "Remove invalid exit point" ("1")
- Read the text explaining the various details
- If you are ready to apply the fix, then select yes ('Y'), otherwise press any other key to cancel
- If it says there is another additional position, then you should probably try removing that as well ('Y')
- Try exiting the dungeon.  If it goes to a wrong location but one that is different from before, then reload and try removing only 1 position rather than 2.
- Once you are able to exit the dungeon, consider saving the game

Further notes about this option:
- The text with the option explains all of the important points of what you need to know to apply it, but is a general solution so does not addressing any specific situations
- One of the primary ways this bug can show up is in scenario 2 to enter the dungeon far north of Seaport (on the east coast on the west side of the mountains), fall into one or more map-based pits, escape from (exit) each of those pits, then try to exit the dungeon from the ladder on the top level.  By the time you reach that ladder, any additional exit maps are invalid and should be removed.
- I apologize for the inconvenience if you ran into this bug.  I've designed the game very carefully, but it is extremely complex and therefore bugs can sometimes appear.  This is one of the bugs that was not discovered in playtesting because it does not happen in most situations, another bug/limitation that had been covering it up was fixed, and that particular situation had not been tested in a while due to my having limited time to test the entire game after every minor change.

Further details:
- These are non-critical details, but may be helpful if you want or need further clarification
- Remember that this fixes the problem in an active game from an old save; the problem will not reappear since the actual source of the problem has been fixed in the newer versions.  (Of course, it WILL reappear if you reload the old save again; like any change when playing the game, it only applies to the active game session and any new saves done based on that session.)
- As mentioned above, if there are more than 1 additional exit positions it is very likely that they must all be removed.  However, this is not certain for all possible situations.  Therefore, if it goes to another (different) incorrect location after applying it then it may be necessary to try removing fewer positions.  Since only 2 additional positions ("additional" meaning those beyond the first position) were allowed in the older versions of the game, this would mean trying to remove only 1 of them rather than 2.  Remember that you should do this after reloading so that it is sometime before exiting the dungeon.
- As mentioned earlier, one of the primary ways this bug can show up is to enter the dungeon far north of Seaport, fall into one or more map-based pits, exit each of the pits, then try to exit the dungeon.  Every time you exit one of these pits it will introduce the bug and the exit from the dungeon will be set to go to the top of the pit rather than outside the dungeon.  However, if you exit the dungeon from 2-3 times it will go to the correct exit location.  If it does not after 2 times (and goes to the top of a different pit), then after 3 times it should definitely go to the correct exit location.  Of course, having to work your way back through part of the dungeon (potentially twice) is not correct so the better approach is to apply the bug fix to any save containing such incorrect exit points.
- The bug fix option described here removes the most recent exit point(s).  If 2 exit points are removed, then it removes the most recent exit point then the next most recent exit point.  While it should not be necessary to do so, as a last resort you can activate cheat/development mode (explained elsewhere) and view your current exit points using the "VA" option and look for the "Exit" line (the first number is the map ID).  The process for activating cheat mode is explained in the manual.  If you are in the dungeon north of Seaport, the only exit point that you want to remain after applying the fix is the one that goes to map 2.


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Documentation
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Beyond this file, other documentation currently includes:

- install.txt (the install instructions): This provides the install instructions for the game and peripheral programs along with some details about related issues

- manual.txt (the game manual): This provides the primary instructions for the game along with many peripheral details.  It is strongly suggested that you read at least the first few pages of this document (but it is by no means necessary to read it all).

- hints.txt (a hints document for scenario 2): Reading this is entirely optional and not recommended unless you need it (although you may want to scan the introduction to better understand what is available in it).  Use this if you have any problems playing the game where you would need hints / a clue book / etc..

- version.txt (version information): Viewing this is entirely optional and only useful if you need to know the version of the install.  It is just an extremely short note containing nothing more than the current version designations.


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Release notes overview
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First of all, note that specific examples in the following are from older versions; refer to the subsequent "Release Notes" section for details about specific versions (including the current version).

Most releases contain a very large number of changes everywhere from those that are very minor to those that are very significant.  However, the only specific points for particular release versions that are usually addressed in this document are things like critical bug fixes, major changes of note, etc..  This is due to not having enough time to document so many changes.

That said, the changes between versions typically include things such as:

- New scenario content or adjustments to scenario content.  At this point, such work has been almost entirely on scenario 2.  One example of new content was completing the arctic dungeon (which was an extremely lengthy project), another was adding several new spells (along with a related NPC cleric option), but there many, many more.  Similarly, one example of adjusted content was a variety of work to improve the balance of several dungeons that contain rooms, another was reducing the difficulty of random encounters at the beginning of the game, but there were many, many more.

- Fixes for minor or moderate bugs

- Improvements and enhancements to the engine.  An example of an improvement to the engine was making sure the creature name is specified during attacks, another was improving the way other verbosity modes behave, but there were many, many more.  An example of an enhancement was adding and enhancing various script commands to support some new scenario 2 content (new or adjusted content often drives such enhancements), another making it so creatures in dungeon rooms can also decide to do a group retreat, another a new mechanism to more simply define changes to a dungeon room depending on the entrance (to support work in adjusting related dungeon balance), another functionality to support a new spell (removing beneficial enchantments), but there were many, many more.

- Updates to documentation


That said, a few specific notes are provided in the following section.


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Release notes
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Current version:

- More progress on the party system, but still incomplete


Version 240825

- More progress on the party system, but still incomplete.  Note that the party "disband" option has been fixed so that the results of doing so will now save properly (before this was fixed, party mode would reactivate when the save in question was reloaded).
- Fixed a minor so now the rainstorm in the village near the keep now does not happen with every load but rather just when entering


Version 240817

- A party system is now largely implemented and available for demo purposes in scenario 2; refer to the earlier dedicated section for details.  !!!IMPORTANT: As already mentioned but worth repeating, some aspects of the party system feature are still very much INCOMPLETE and so do NOT add a character who will join the party unless you want to demo the incomplete version of the feature!


Version 240715/240720:

- Implemented a significant enhancement for editing text input but for the sake of stability via using it only in a few prompts to begin with, this is by default only used by the script console for the time being.  That said, it can be activated manually for a few additional prompts (such as those for load/save and conversation/etc. input) using a new config file setting in game.cfg called "INPUTMODE".  If there are any problems, that same setting can be used to revert to the old behavior for all prompts.  It is intended that the enhanced functionality will by default also be used by other prompts at a later time (after they are more well-established).  Anyway, the enhancement allows for backspace to the previous line, right/left arrow keys, control right/left arrow keys to jump by word, home/end keys, control-V to paste from the OS clipboard, and existing keys and scrolling and such being able to deal with when having used such keys to go back through the entered text.  Further, insert operations are supported with backspace deleting a character entirely (control-backspace to instead ovewrite with a space), delete, and insert to insert a new character with a space.  Overtype is the default at this time because it is more well-tested, but a full insert mode (typed chars will automatically insert) can also be toggled with control-insert or even activated by default with the afore-mentioned config setting.  Note that the afore-mentioned script console is only available when cheat mode is active, but the other prompts mentioned (such as for load/save) are of course available regardless.


Version 240607:

- Added multi-position tile FX to the engine and uses of it to several places in scenario 2 including new resting weather-based encounters
- Fixed a transparency-related problem with lava walls/etc. (caused not able to see beyond a door when standing in it, some of the image above the door when viewed from the side to be blocked out, etc.)
- Changed the desert dungeon treasure chest encounters so that they show an actual treasure chest (customized to a more appropriate default Get message) rather than a hole


Version 240519:

- A variety of details in the desert dungeon were previous incomplete, although the basics were in place so it was still worthwhile (as a message at the entrance pointed via in-game phrasing).  However, a huge amount of work has been done on that dungeon and now those details are no longer incomplete (and the related message at the entrance has been removed).  Games where this dungeon has already been explored will not be able to take advantage of most of these changes, but if you haven't been there yet then they will be available (to be clear, this would of course include all new games, as well).  These details include hints and other advantages to help solve the dungeon's main puzzle, additional treasure, and a few details just for color.  Most areas that were empty just because they hadn't yet been finished are no longer empty (with just a select few left intentionally empty).
- Fixed a minor bug with winning while in a vehicle such as a boat
- Changed the name of some of the summon wands to be more clear


Version 240311:

- A variety of general fixes and enhancements have been made including a new option to move NPC's in case they are in the way (Control-M, "Move NPC"); balance improvements for some spells, creatures, and treasure; ship (vehicle) cargo and other interactive containers now include a reorder option; the option to pour out waterskins; ship HP will now be shown even in a combat scene; remaining light will show up in the detailed stats list; the Ignite option will warn/prompt if you already have an active light source; quantity and/or charges now show up in selection lists where useful; keys now use distinct names; and a number of minor issues (one improved message for the summon entity wands, setting the proper allowable View level on one map, the default start position on another, no quantity prompt when 1 waterskin, quantity prompt for the magic items merchant, etc.).


Version 240224:

- Inventory is now displayed in a more logical order for both display and selection purposes.  Further, it can now also be rearranged.  The manual was updated with the details along with a few related changes.


Version 240209/240210:

- The area with the final battle has been updated so that the AI works more correctly and the battles in that area are more balanced in general
- The NPC in the desert town with some key information now clarifies some vital points with regards to the two separate subjects he addresses.  If you are having difficulty with anything in that area, try speaking to him again.
- Significant playtesting has been continuing and it is clear that with the changes in this version, the scenario now works fairly well all the way to the end.  Addressing a series of moderate to minor issues discovered during playtesting and various enhancements will be planned for future versions.


Version 240131:

- Added a significant series of new, additional hints to make it much more clear as to how to find the hidden mountains location that is required to complete the main quest.  This is very important because the only significant hint that existed previously depends entirely on the order of exploration and therefore in some cases can make finding this location extremely difficult without the new series of hints.  If you are having any problems finding the location, try going back to one of the hidden natural places spoken of by some of the NPC's.
- Replaced a textual village on the S overland map with a real village (although not yet fully detailed)
- As usual, fixed a few minor bugs (such as some doors that should allow horses in Seaport not doing so)
- Significant playtesting has been continuing since version 230624 and all patches have been focused mainly on issues found during that process


Version 231008:

- Added an "Easter Egg" quest (to make some areas more interesting).  Good luck!  Note this is likely to only be available for new games; many games in progress will not be able to find this quest (saved areas don't pick up some of the necessary changes).  "Easter Eggs" are entirely optional, so this doesn't introduce a problem.


Version 230921:

- Implemented solutions to deal with whirlpools destroying ships (as detailed earlier)


Version 230909:

- A major enhancement for named saves using just one single file rather than a directory has been implemented (as detailed earlier)


Version 230825:

- Fixed a fairly severe bug where an ambush while in a ship or boat could sometimes result in land creatures that normally require a ship (such as pirates) to instead appear on the water.  The combat would not end without killing them since it is not possible to retreat from a ship-to-ship or boat-to-ship combat.  If you were a spellcaster, had area-effect spells, or had a long-range magic weapon, then you could kill the creatures from a distance in order to end the combat.  They were also able to attack adjacent positions as if they were the vehicle.  Ambushes from ship-based types were being generated because they are included on the general random encounter tables but were not being filtered out for ambushes.  This is now fixed.
- Fixed a notable bug where carrying weight at or close to max into the Planar Abode when the wand had only 1 charge remaining caused it to be dropped on the portal.  While a "Get" could later be used to retrieve it (then causing the portal to trigger), this was still incorrect and needed to be fixed.  The root problem was actually a more general one with any rechargable item and was therefore fixed for all of them.


Version 230822:

- Fixed a severe problem with attribute increases (as detailed earlier)
- Directly playtested through a significant portion of version 230624 (using a wizard character) finding a number of minor issues, 2 moderate issues, and 1 severe issue (attribute increases)


Version 230624:

A few but not all of the changes include:
- Fixed a particularly problematic bug where when there are a large number of creatures a few could be placed in bad starting positions on the foothills or ford combat maps.  This bug could cause a zoom combat not to end without using a missile weapon or spell to kill a trapped creature.
- Fixed a particularly problematic bug related to referencing memory incorrectly during a few conversation-based map transitions (the Seaport arena and theater merchants, and the ice gnome).  This bug could cause error messages related to NPC movement or a crash upon subsequent map transition.
- Just a few of various minor bug fixes include not allowing being aboard vehicles (such as horses) when watching an arena match and fixes/improvements related to getting wandering NPC's moved out of inn rooms being used


***************************************************************************
Transferring saves and save compatibility
***************************************************************************

There are 2 issues addressed in this section.  The first is transferring saves from one version to another and the second is the overall issue of compatibility.

Saves are not currently checked in any way to determine if they belong to the current version or even the current scenario; you are allowed to load any game in any context even if it does not end up working properly.  (This may change in the future, but if so the change would most likely be to issue a warning that such a game may not be compatible and to potentially provide an import option.)

To transfer a save from one game to another, simply copy or move the save from the old version's save directory to the new version's save directory.  Alternatively, you can include the path to the save in the old version when you load from the new version, but this is likely to be rather cumbersome.

For example, say you had a save game named "87" that you wanted to transfer from "C:\Games\GGame2.230308" to "C:\Games\GGame2.230522".

This would mean that you would copy "87" from "C:\Games\GGame2.230308\Save\87" to "C:\Games\GGame2.230522\Save\87".

You can also move the game rather than copying it, but a copy has the advantage of providing a backup in case something goes wrong and allowing the old version to still be used for any comparision purposes.

You may notice that the name of the install directories used in the examples above have been customized with a ".[version]" suffix.  It should be clarified at this point that this game is designed in a way that makes it so that you CAN rename the install directory name as needed in order to have multiple versions (which is different from many programs which only allow one version to be installed at a time).

Anyway, the public versions released so far are likely compatible with older versions.  This has been tested with scenario 2 saves that are not far into the game but not tested nearly as well with those that are much further into the game.  However, the game does attempt to resolve inconsistencies between an older save and a newer version whenever possible (often by loading it anyway but potentially issuing warnings and/or potentially applying corrections when such corrections are obvious).  An example of such an inconsistency is when a given map has changed significantly in a newer version and an older save game is saved against the older version of that map.

Another point is about the default save.  The default save is the one that is used when you use options like 'Q'.  It has no name that you provide yourself, but you will see it in the "Save" directory as "Default" with a suffix for the corresponding scenario ID (for example, "Save\Default2" for scenario 2).  Automatic saves such as the ones done during many map transitions always use this, which means it will be saved over quite often.  Therefore, if you are using only this method of saving rather than named saves, it is recommended that you do not simply move this save but rather copy it so that you still have the original as a backup within the previous version of the game.

Another point is that while you are likely to be able to use most saves in a newer version, it is far less likely that a save from a newer version will work in an older version.

Loading a save in a scenario other than the one it was saved in is not recommended.  An exception would be if a 3rd party designer specifically designs multiple scenarios that allow this (for example, creates a sequel that will accept a save from the previous scenario).  None of the currently-included scenarios support this, however; they are all mutually-exclusive.  Loading a save in the wrong scenario is allowed, but will typically result in a number of errors.  For example, consider that map 2 in scenario 2 is entirely different from map 2 in scenario 1 and the saved information about it will therefore be totally invalid if it had been saved in the other.


***************************************************************************
Unfinished features
***************************************************************************

The following is a partial list of some features that are not yet complete.

General:
- The rogue class for scenario 2.  This class CAN be selected and played, but will be weaker than other characters since many of the advantages of the class are not yet implemented.
- Fine-tuning the game balance for scenario 2 (this does not mean that the balance is wrong, just that there are a few minor adjustments that would improve it)
- Scenarios 1 and 3 are unfinished in many ways.  Although they can be played from start to finish, they are both like very rough drafts.  In particular, the basic numeric values defined for both scenarios are still simply placeholders (things like HP's, attack values, etc.).
- A multi-character / party system; the game is currently single-player only.  A lot of the preliminary work for this feature is already complete (such as zoom-in combat and allies), but there is still significant work remaining.

Scenario 2 locations:
- The content for the castle on the W continent is mostly unfinished, although the basic layout is done and there are already some NPC's there that are worth talking to such as the king
- The content for the keep near the swamp on the S continenent is mostly unfinished (although many things such as the layout are finished and it can be explored)
- There are some additional NPC conversations that need to be added to the desert town
