Since it was released, Anomalies has had several updates. Here are some of the ways in which it has been improved.
New Features:
German Mode - Now Anomalies comes in both English and German interfaces. More languages will be added soon.
Nebula Alpha - This is an option added to the options menu. Nebulas were initially fet to 100 percent alpha. Now you can change this setting and make them more translucent.
Shadow Alpha - Another option menu addition. This allows the user to determine how dark or light the real-time shadows will be, in addition to turning them on and off.
New Screen Resolutions - the following resolutions were added:
1800 x 1440
2560 x 1440
3200 x 1800
3840 x 2160
Fixes:
Blank Screen - If the player clicked on Respawn or Randomize too quickly, it would fail to load the anomaly correctly, and the player was left with a blank screen.
Shadow Restart - Turning off Shadows required the user to restart the game to take effect correctly. Now it does not require a restart.
Update Scheduled for Thursday Night
I have another update for Anomalies. If you have saved anomalies that you want access to, you are advised to turn off automatic updates for this game.
The new update will do the following:
1. Nebula Alpha will now be retained when exiting or restarting game
2. Shadow Alpha will be a new option. It will allow darker (or lighter) shadows.
3. The problem in which the user must restart the game after turning off shadows is resolved.
Using Anomalies
A recent conversation with a musician led me to vocalize something I've been thinking for some time. I would love for folks to "use" anomalies for their own needs. For instance, if you like the melody or rhythm coming from an anomaly, save it, record it, write lyrics for it if you want. Any output from the game, visual or audio, will be free to use with attribution. Just mention that "The Anomalies software by Michael Klaus Schmidt was used in the production of this ______. " Or something to this effect. I would be honored.
I actually recorded an album of songs from Anomalies. You can listen to them or download them here: https://mkschmidt.bandcamp.com/
To keep things fair, I would say you cannot use other people's anomalies without their permission. Only anomalies you recorded yourself. Sounds fair, right?
Anomalies Update
Anomalies has been updated. Some bugs were fixed and some new features were added. It is not set to automatically update. If you do choose to update it, you may need to uninstall, then reinstall the game. Previously saved anomalies may not load correctly in the new version.
Fixes: If the player clicked on Respawn or Randomize too quickly, it would fail to load the anomaly correctly, and the player was left with a black screen.
Changing screen size and switching to window/full screen mode had to be performed seperately before. Now you should be able to change screen resolution and switch to full screen or windowed in one go.
New Features: Nebula Alpha - This is an option added to the options menu. Nebulas were initially fet to 100 percent alpha. Now you can change this setting and make them more translucent.
New Screen Resolutions - the following resolutions were added:
1800 x 1440
2560 x 1440
3200 x 1800
3840 x 2160
These have not been tested, as I don't have any monitors of this size... let me know how they work (or don't).
Tips and Tricks
Anomalies has lots of features. They might not be obvious at first, and a new player might not understand what's going on in the game. But that's the point.
Anomalies is an aesthetic experience, like a piece of art. There are no objectives or levels or points to be had, so the reward is in simply following your curiosity and enjoying a random anomaly, or tweaking it in a way you'd like to explore.
Here are few tips I would recommend:
1. If you don't like the sounds, try the toggle button in the Options Menu called "Harmonious Sounds Only." Originally, I wanted the frequency of the sounds to reflect the size of each segment of an anomaly. This was, from my perspective, a more pure and direct way to interpret the visual structure as audio. However, notes don't always sound good together, so I began using fixed frequencies for the symmetrical anomalies, because I wanted them to sound as harmonious as they appeared. By using that option, you can make all anomalies sound more harmonious.
2. If you're having slow anomalies, maybe try reducing the total segments, spawns or particles in the Options Menu.
3. Try the Auto Timer. On the far right of the game menu, there is an auto timer slider. If you set this, and hit "randomize" it will automatically randomize your anomaly at fixed intervals.
4. Try manually tweaking an anomaly. You can hit randomize all day long if you want, but part of the joy in anomalies is in tweaking and modifying things to your preference. Hit randomize until you see something interesting. Then change one parameter and hit respawn. See how it changes it, and try another.
5. Try locking some of the parameters. Parameters can be locked by clicking on the small circle next to the slider. This way, if you only want to see symmetrical anomalies, you can set the symmetry slider to 1, 2 or 3, then lock it. Now randsomize will only create symmetrical anomalies.
6. Press "R" to randomize an anomaly while the menu is hidden.
7. Spend some time with it. Anomalies is not about instant gratification. It is atmspheric and unusual. However, there is a certain enjoyment that one can get from just exploring these strange sights and sounds. It may take a few minutes for the right mood to set in.
8. Anomalies has a built in Screenshot button, but on Steam it may be easier to hit F12. Also, please feel free to share your screenshots with other users by uploading them!
Anyway, I hope you are all enjoying the game. Please remember to write a review if you want.
Trading Cards Active
I had the Trading Cards approved and "released" before releasing the game. However, there was a "Publish Changes" button that I neglected to press until a few minutes ago. Now the trading cards are dropping during gameplay. I tested it and it worked. Sorry about the delay.
