Monday, January 2, 2012

Dweller 1.14.0 - Happy New Year!

Wow, is it 2012 already? Where did 2011 go?

So what's in store for Dweller in 2012? I intend to make 2012 the year when Dweller will be "finished". Looking back at old versions of Dweller it is obvious that the game has come a long way since it's first release several years ago. There's still some way to go, but I believe I'll get there this year.

I wish to thank all the dedicated Dweller players out there. The game wouldn't be what it is today without all the encouraging e-mails I receive. Thank you! (PS Don't forget that you can donate if you really enjoy Dweller)

I decided to start off the new year with a fresh release of Dweller. The new release contains a side branch of the main dungeon with a mini-boss and a unique drop. I hope to add a lot more content to the dungeons from now. I've played the game quite a bit lately and it is obvious that the game needs more variation, both in terms of monsters and items, but more importantly in the way the dungeon feels when you explore it. There has to be more surprises in there for the player to discover. Stay tuned for more dungeon content!

The game is available from all the usual sources: Android MarketJ2ME and J2SE. Enjoy!

NEW FEATURES
  • Side branch with a mini-boss
  • Different stair variants depending on where they lead
  • Pushable stones will disappear if pushed onto an open trapdoor or stairs down

CHANGES
  • Trap doors will not be generated on the level above the halls of the goblin king
  • Doors are more likely to be generated

BUGFIXES
  • Scrolls of recall incorrectly required a target.

18 comments:

  1. I just updated from version 1.6.1, I love a lot of the improvements.

    Not sure yet on how I like the comparing items (worn vs inventory), just have to get used to how its displayed. Very nice addition tho.

    However, when did you get rid of random level generation? Its not even an option now when selecting new game (random vs persistant levels).

    I found it very disappointing to have explored the first dungeion level, go up to sell and then find the same level when I decended into the dungeon again.

    Please consider having random levels again, if the branching is a concerned, maybe add another matrix identifier for those specific levels that have branchs in them.

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  2. I'm glad you enjoy most of the changes made in recent versions. My reasoning for removing non persistent levels was that it was a nightmare to balance the game in any way. I have tried to make the dungeon increasingly difficult in such a way that you are constantly on your toes when you move further down the dungeon. With non-persistent levels it was very easy to get completely overpowered by grinding the easy levels for xp and items.

    I might add different game modes again, such as an Infinite mode (with random levels each time they are visited) and Iron Man (you can only move further down, never go back up to a previous level)

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  3. Hello again!

    First of all, my character hit his head a bit, when he fell off 2 levels, because he landed on an another trap from the first one. :)

    I really like the new features, but I would like to suggest an another one. It would be cool, if mages could light the torches on with their fire spell. (Maybe rogues too with flaming arrows.)

    This time I was a little bit curious, so I read a lot. This two thing was a little bit weird.
    (To be honest, the first one is from the earlier version, and I forgot to check it before, and I have just simple healing potions and no more recall scrolls... Anyway, it would be better, if the shopkeeper could order more scroll from them, because I use it twice as much time as I go back to the forest. :) )
    http://i40.tinypic.com/fynzaq.jpg
    http://i44.tinypic.com/scwcnm.jpg
    So there are sometimes the same sentence twice.

    And my finally problem (at last) is that I have purple cloud (or what) on me at every step, the log writes "You resist." but it won't go away, the antidote potion / healer guy can't help, and it makes the game a little bit slower (and a lot weirder). I think, I was fighting with a wight at the moment when I got that (but I'm not sure, there was more of them... but not for my wand :) ).

    So, I never forget to say thanks, and wish good luck for the next updates too, and this time I wish you happy new year too!

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  4. Oh, sorry, one last thing (I promise):
    Are you sure, the donate-link is working? Maybe the problem is here, but I ask it to be sure.

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  5. aaahh !

    That makes sense then (the balancing issues etc)

    I have been playing this game for a couple of years now, so you are doing things right =)

    I would most deffinently love some other modes, especially a "infinate" mode if it would allow you go beyond lvl 10 (ie just keep going), even if it were something like, when going down stairs you would always go to the lowest lvl you experienced (unable to go to the levels between forest and bottom) as long as you could port back up to use the merchant and healer, hmm maybe a modified Ironman, forest stairs blocked after first use and you have to always use scrolls of recall?

    One of my favorite things is tring to collect scrolls of enchant to enchant my equipment.

    THank you very much for a fun game to while away the time (I must admit it has eaten up a lot of extra time rofl)

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  6. The donate link should work. Don't you get linked to the PayPal site and a web-form where you can fill in an amount that you want to donate to Dweller?

    I should add stuff that you can set on fire, not only the torches/braziers. Things like burning down trees in the forest or the hedges on the maze level. I'll add it to my todo list :-)

    The thing about the double sentence is that the arrows and the healing potions have more than one instance of the same effect. What this means is that a Strong Healing Potion applies three healing spells when used while a Weak Healing Potion applies only one. The Marksmans Arrows apply the damage effect twice. I should do this in another way since it looks weird. It's been annoying me as well for some time, but it gets the job done. I'll see what I can do about it.

    I've received reports of the Purple Cloud/You Resist thing before. I need to look into that. It's probably a bug.

    I'll also have a look at the merchant inventory. He should never really run out of basic stuff like Scrolls of Recall.

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  7. Hi, I found that sometimes killing a monster doesn't count to quest kills. I just finished rat quest then I get it again (more rats) and spider quest (both the same time) and now I couldn't finish it, there isn't any log in history like "killed monster 1/10". Maybe the same problem is with main quest (I read about it in previous comments) - killing Goblin King is missed by quest function.

    Played on latest version from Android Market (updated today). BTW on title screen I got "v.null" instead of version number (at about & credits it's empty space)

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  8. Hi!

    I thought, that it heals twice as much as the simple healing potion, etc., but as you said too, it looks a bit weird. :)

    If I saw well, the merchants got 1 from every basic stuff if I recall (each potion, mushroom, scroll of recall). The potions aren't problem, but the scroll of recall.

    Yesterday I was in a library. I was completely floored. :)

    The donation link bring me just to the PayPal homepage. So I need an email address, if I want to send money. (Should I use the .....tzl@g..... address?)

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  9. Ah, the donate button to the right of all posts was broken. I must have screwed up when I got the donate link from there to put into this post. Things are back to normal now. Please give it a try! :-)

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  10. Great game. Last played it in the earlier versions on a java phone and currently loving it on my Android.
    Some bugs though. quest kills don't seem to be obvious, sometimes they count, sometimes they don't. I also have the "you resit" wraith battle bug that plagues me every move but does nothing.
    Fills a nice gap when you don't have time for one of the much more time consuming roguelikes.

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  11. Hi Bjorn, thanks for the new update!
    I haven't had much chance to play the game in recent weeks, so I've missed a couple of versions.
    You seem to be doing well with removing bugs though, and it's good to see you adding new features like the branching dungeons and the quests.

    On playing this latest version today I've run into a little problem that isn't really a bug, but it's annoying.
    Something has changed about the targeting system.
    As a mage, I used to attack by hitting the targeting mode button, then the switch target button, then the targeting mode button again and finally the center button.
    The way that worked was first it switched me into look mode with myself targeted, then it switched target to an enemy, switched from looking to charred book of fire, and then attacked.
    Now though, I seem to have to press the switch target button twice. The first press doesn't switch the targeting away from myself.

    Another mage related thing I've noticed is that the attack animation isn't properly synched. When attacking an enemy that is far away, first we see the explosion of the fireball on the enemy, and THEN see the fireball moving towards them.

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  12. The you resist bug seems to be after the wraith gets you with a slowing attack.
    All my characters seem to be completely immune to poison
    The quick slots don't really work for anything other than one item for me.
    The game balance is probably too easy, but maybe I'm just lucky.
    Orc weapon twist attack is really annoying :-)
    Should the number of heals on potions vary by character level?
    For the goblin king I started the level really close to him! Kinda spoiled the level. A throne room would be good
    Android 2.x phone.

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  13. Stairs behind a moveable block couldn't be got to. Error when trying to push block as stairs couldn't be moved. up stairs as I came down via trapdoor. I guess I can free it by coming all the way down the stairs...

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  14. Just killed the goblin king (never had to heal, don't think he hit me once aside from one time making me drop weapon) and didn't get the crown. I was on the more rats quest (but never got any kills credited for extra rats).

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  15. The Donate button works now, if I saw well. :)

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  16. Hello :) I spot some more problems with pushable blocks:
    1. sometimes when I first time go to level I can't push a block with info that there is a floor plate on the way ;) if I exit the level and enter it again it will work as expected
    2. please check this case: block next to spike trap - when you push it on trap block will disappear / I expected something opposite, like disarming trap :) (test it with other traps or make a test lvl with all possible tiles next to block and push one by one, brute force :D
    3. quests - sometimes work, sometimes not - couldn't find repeatable case
    4. check pathfinding algorithm for monsters - sometime they can't bypass the brazier

    ...and a small request for ASAP update/fix for a bug with permanent "you resist" :) I know the game is free and I shouldn't complain but this make your game very irritating and you can lost your players ;)

    Best Regards and Good Luck! :)

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  17. Thank you for all the bug reports (yes, I mean it. It's invaluable. Thanks!). I've released a new version that should solve quite a few of them.

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  18. @spiritofcat: I've fixed the spell cast animations for the next release. I'll also try and review the targeting system for the wizard and ranger.

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