- Fixed rare Owner navigation bug
- Shortened Owner Hunt Sequence in Chapter 5.
Bark
Feb 2023 Additional Small Patch
Feb 2023 Patch
After digging through every aspect I could possibly think of, the cause for the "Chase Squirrels" crash should be completely resolved. This was a very difficult issue to find because it only occurs on certain hardware. Now (thankfully), I believe I have located (and removed) the cause. I cannot be 100% sure though, since I have been unable to recreate the issue on my own hardware. If you still encounter the issue after this update, please let me know!
Other Changes
- Fixed neighbor's dog not hunting when loading from a checkpoint in Chapter 5.
- Significantly shortened sequences in Chapters 3, 6, and 7.
- Significantly increased the time your exploration in Chapter 7 will go unaffected by surrounding threats.
- Added clarification to commonly confusing points in Chapter 7.
I am aware that this update may not address all the issues that players have noted while playing the game, but please be patient with me as I learn from the mistakes I made during the development of this game. This is my first ever experience releasing a game to the public, and the scale (from the main campaign to the extras) is massive for a first-time solo indie dev doing this in his free time. Some requests (as simple as they may sound on the surface) may take much longer than anticipated to implement into the game due to this scale.
As I have addressed in other threads, some elements working together may cause one bug, but that bug may be preventing several others. It's something I'm trying to work out little by little as time goes on!
I will continue to make changes and update elements as I find the time. Either way, I appreciate all the criticism (as intense as some of it may be) and I am using it all to improve myself as a developer moving forward!
Thank you for your patience and understanding!
BARK 1.6.4 (Chapter 6 Back Bathroom Patch)
- Fixed a bug that prevents the back bathroom door from opening when loading the last checkpoint in chapter 6.
BARK 1.6.3 (Chase Squirrels Crash Fix)
If your game still crashes (or crashes at any other points), please reply to this post so I can do some more investigation!
BARK 1.6.2
- Fixed final checkpoint in Chapter 6 not opening the door to the back bathroom.
- Added a hint in Chapter 6 explaining how to better stay hidden from your owner.
BARK 1.6.1 (Main Menu Fix)
BARK 1.6 (Various Bug Fixes)
- The way that points are collected during a chase have been updated to decrease the chances of crashing the game.
- Chapter 4 checkpoint not allowing the chapter to progress has been fixed.
- Added a hint during Chapter 1 to inform the player that you can cancel Sense Mode.
- Added a hint to Chapter 6 to inform the player that the neighbor's dog will only bark at you if you are in the backyard.
- Re-made the function that cancels the owner's navigation after a certain amount of time has passed, forcing him to navigate to required points. This reduces the risk of him disappearing without completing his navigation sequence.
- Increased the amount of time you have to scare the first hallucination away before your owner comes out of his room in Chapter 3.
- Decreased how close your owner has to be to you before he can grab you.
- Fixed chase music starting even if a dog (who is trying to start a chase with you in the neighborhood) is too far away.
Coming Bug Fixes and Updates
- Chapter 4 checkpoints not working (garage door trigger did not work and first radio broadcast plays despite having completed that segment already). This is also often followed by your owner being unable to open the door to the garage. This checkpoint currently requires a restart of the chapter.
- Your owner will occasionally get stuck in doorways while searching for you. This will sometimes result in him de-spawning. Know that this is not intended, and whenever your owner searches for you, he is intended to eventually return to one of two rooms and close the door behind him.
- If a dog in the neighborhood is too far away but is trying to start a chase, the chase music will start despite not actually chasing you.
- The game occasionally crashes (most often during Chapter 5 (the backyard chapter)) for unknown reasons. This has only happened to some players with a variety of hardware, so I have so far been unable to find probable cause.
- Various functions and solutions to objectives are not clear. More hints will be added to better explain what can be done during these circumstances.
As far as I am currently aware, this is the extent of remaining issues. These fixes will be made intermittently as I work towards the (currently unannounced) DLC. If the file-size for the game increases any significant amount during these updates, it is due to the DLC content that is being added to the game.
Thank you all for your continued support and understanding while I work through the post-release beast that is BARK!
DLC Development Live!
BARK 1.5 (Difficulty and Sequence Length Patch)
- Displayed all 3 stars when completing the game instead of revealing them upon completing each ending. Now, each star will become opaque upon completing each ending to make the fact that there are multiple endings more clear.
- Added a hint that explains what classifies as a toy in Chapter 2.
- Lessened the amount of locations your owner will navigate to when agitated.
- Lessened the amount of time your owner will stop to listen for you when you make noise.
- Removed the ability to agitate your owner when hallucinating during Chapter 5.
- Fixed checkpoints not showing objective in Chapter 6.
- Lessened the length of the hide sequences in chapters 3, 5, 6, and 7.
- Toggled chase music after the neighboring dog gives up a chase in Chapter 7.