Thank you all for your patience while we are finish up this next update. This update addresses a lot of the bugs we missed in our Early Access release. And also introduces various tweaks which should help bring us closer to having a proper level of difficulty for a roguelike while still being fair to players in the appropriate places.
Here is the change log!
Alpha 0.1.1 - Bugfix Update
[New Features]
* Introduced a proper "object" for a layer exit when you kill the cave troll. It is now a Portal that will randomly appear. This may change in the future as dungeon generation evolves.
[Combat]
* Improved bones (skeletons) to have a warning blink + delay before shooting; some initial necessary telemetry. * Tweaked knockbacks of Kobold's, Mimic's, and Skeleton's to not be so ridonkulous. * Tweaked algorithm that determines armor damage resistance, which should slightly nerf armors overall. * Various tweaks the creature's health's, base attack damages, and loot drops. * Fixed a really silly bug where the player could not swing their sword (or use other items) right after being hit. This was due to the "screen blood effect" being a ui object and blocking input. And we all just assumed it was a stun-lock... * Slightly nerfed bone shaman helmet * Buffed dynamites max explosion damage from 50 to 75. * Reduced the player's "stun duration" from 0.5 seconds to 0.3 seconds.
[Fixes]
* Fixed an issue where being near the cave edge would break the "call escape pod" button, and player would be stuck in cave. * Fixed a bug that caused the sounds on the "descent completed" screen to be really loud. It was because the game was playing a bunch of the sounds all in 1 frame. Pretty goofy if you ask me. * Fixed issue where player could not easily turn pages of the bestiary, in journal. Currently, the page turning keys are now "Q" and "E". † * Fixed a small issue related to the Journal UI refreshing at the wrong times. * Pages in journal will now "turn properly". Meaning, page 2 will no longer appear on the left side after turning the page to the right once. So it functions like an actual book now. * Fixed an issue where certain save files would not load and be usable. † (read footnotes for more info) * Fixed the very bizarre (but funny) bug where the Frost Troll would not stop playing its "rolling attack" sound. Eventually leading to a chorus of moaning Frost Trolls. * Fixed a really old issue where the game would not update the "z order" or wall sprites. So you would get situations where the player would be behind a front wall. * Fixed issue where player could consume (use) certain items while a dialog window or menu window was open. * Fixed name of "Mole Hammer" item still being called "Lead Fury Hammer", among a few other fixes to Mole items.
* Fixed silver ore having the wrong "mining tier", so people could mine it early. * Fixed "Titanium Shoulder Pads" not having their name setup. (Was "Iron Shoulder Pads") * Fixed a super rare issue where you would get stuck on the cave generation screen when the game was generating a random number in the range [0,1], and it just so happened to pick "1". * Fixed a bug where projectiles (arrows, bullets) would glitch out in the kingdom, or when the hit the world edge. (both caused by different code bugs)
[Tweaks]
* Spooky sounds happen less often. * Tiny nerf to drop rate of spotcaps. * Mole Trader random positioning changed so he will no longer appear near the player starting point (0,0) * Tweaked spawn positioning of the "exit holes", so they might be a bit easier to find now.
[Misc]
* Removed some unnecessary log messages, but also introduced new ones to help with diagnosing possible future bugs.
[Footnotes]
† You can still use left arrow and right arrow to turn the pages, but you will still get the issue for them. In fact, the issue will resurface if you use those buttons to turn pages. From looking at our own code, it does not appear to be an issue in our own code, but it may be an issue of the input handling library that Unity uses.
† This was due to item name_id's not being present in the game's database. For now, we are handling this by skipping that item. So that means you would loose that item, and we will log a message to file about the lost item. In the future, we will make sure that this does not happen to a greater degree. And instead assure that your item's name_id's get converted when you load the save file. In fact, in the future we will probably introduce a warning message to warn players they may loose items if they continue. So players can choose if they want to load that save.
Alpha 0.1.1 Bugfix Update Out Now!
Thank you all for your patience while we are finish up this next update. This update addresses a lot of the bugs we missed in our Early Access release. And also introduces various tweaks which should help bring us closer to having a proper level of difficulty for a roguelike while still being fair to players in the appropriate places.
Here is the change log!
Alpha 0.1.1 - Bugfix Update
[New Features]
* Introduced a proper "object" for a layer exit when you kill the cave troll. It is now a Portal that will randomly appear. This may change in the future as dungeon generation evolves.
[Combat]
* Improved bones (skeletons) to have a warning blink + delay before shooting; some initial necessary telemetry. * Tweaked knockbacks of Kobold's, Mimic's, and Skeleton's to not be so ridonkulous. * Tweaked algorithm that determines armor damage resistance, which should slightly nerf armors overall. * Various tweaks the creature's health's, base attack damages, and loot drops. * Fixed a really silly bug where the player could not swing their sword (or use other items) right after being hit. This was due to the "screen blood effect" being a ui object and blocking input. And we all just assumed it was a stun-lock... * Slightly nerfed bone shaman helmet * Buffed dynamites max explosion damage from 50 to 75. * Reduced the player's "stun duration" from 0.5 seconds to 0.3 seconds.
[Fixes]
* Fixed an issue where being near the cave edge would break the "call escape pod" button, and player would be stuck in cave. * Fixed a bug that caused the sounds on the "descent completed" screen to be really loud. It was because the game was playing a bunch of the sounds all in 1 frame. Pretty goofy if you ask me. * Fixed issue where player could not easily turn pages of the bestiary, in journal. Currently, the page turning keys are now "Q" and "E". † * Fixed a small issue related to the Journal UI refreshing at the wrong times. * Pages in journal will now "turn properly". Meaning, page 2 will no longer appear on the left side after turning the page to the right once. So it functions like an actual book now. * Fixed an issue where certain save files would not load and be usable. † (read footnotes for more info) * Fixed the very bizarre (but funny) bug where the Frost Troll would not stop playing its "rolling attack" sound. Eventually leading to a chorus of moaning Frost Trolls. * Fixed a really old issue where the game would not update the "z order" or wall sprites. So you would get situations where the player would be behind a front wall. * Fixed issue where player could consume (use) certain items while a dialog window or menu window was open. * Fixed name of "Mole Hammer" item still being called "Lead Fury Hammer", among a few other fixes to Mole items.
* Fixed silver ore having the wrong "mining tier", so people could mine it early. * Fixed "Titanium Shoulder Pads" not having their name setup. (Was "Iron Shoulder Pads") * Fixed a super rare issue where you would get stuck on the cave generation screen when the game was generating a random number in the range [0,1], and it just so happened to pick "1". * Fixed a bug where projectiles (arrows, bullets) would glitch out in the kingdom, or when the hit the world edge. (both caused by different code bugs)
[Tweaks]
* Spooky sounds happen less often. * Tiny nerf to drop rate of spotcaps. * Mole Trader random positioning changed so he will no longer appear near the player starting point (0,0) * Tweaked spawn positioning of the "exit holes", so they might be a bit easier to find now.
[Misc]
* Removed some unnecessary log messages, but also introduced new ones to help with diagnosing possible future bugs.
[Footnotes]
† You can still use left arrow and right arrow to turn the pages, but you will still get the issue for them. In fact, the issue will resurface if you use those buttons to turn pages. From looking at our own code, it does not appear to be an issue in our own code, but it may be an issue of the input handling library that Unity uses.
† This was due to item name_id's not being present in the game's database. For now, we are handling this by skipping that item. So that means you would loose that item, and we will log a message to file about the lost item. In the future, we will make sure that this does not happen to a greater degree. And instead assure that your item's name_id's get converted when you load the save file. In fact, in the future we will probably introduce a warning message to warn players they may loose items if they continue. So players can choose if they want to load that save.
Welcome to Below the Stone - Early Access
Strollart Studios has been working on Below the Stone for 5 years -- from prototypes, to kickstarters, to publishers, to game conventions, to meeting Asmongold, to demos, and finally to Early Access. We want to thank everyone in our community who gave us the motivation to keep going, who loved this game, and who share the same dreams we do with this project. It's been a long journey for us, and we plan on spending many more years on our creation, as this is just the beginning.
CHANGELOG
Below The Stone - Alpha 0.1
[New Features]
* Added Layer 2 of the generated caves, among many new biomes, ores, and monsters to fear or kill! Currently, there are at least 6 new creatures added for layer 2. * Many new decor objects added for Layer 2. * Added cave sweeper (shotgun) weapon. * Added blunderbuss (shotgun) weapon. * Added "traveling mole" NPC that you can talk/trade with. * Added new "mole themed" items that you can get from the traveling mole. * Added a couple more secrets to discover. * Introduced the "tin sword" and "copper axe" to balance out the assortment of beginner melee weapons. (See "Tweaks" section for more info on this change) * You can now find "holes" which will take you to Layer 2. This is currently a temporary feature with how it's implemented. But you have to explore a lot to find these holes. * Added scotarog(?) * Brought back the "bog lurker" monster that was removed from the swamp biome spawns... for some reason... * Also, I hear there is a crazed goblin roaming around??? * Added titanium ore/ingot (including armor). * Added throwable snowball item.
[Tweaks]
* Tin and Copper weapons have been rebalanced so that axes and swords encourage different play styles; Tin Axe is not an upgrade to Tin Sword. * Updated how floor tiles are picked to create a more varying and interesting look for the caves in general. We call them "alternate sprites". * Updated the "alternate sprites" for the stone floor tile. (this will also happen to other floor tiles in the future) * Improved dungeon loot chests (both current kinds) to not give too strong armor, while also maintaining a nice variety of items to discover from chests. * Updated screen shake to be based off of a smooth curve, resulting in a smoother shake (smoothie shake?). Previously, it was based off of picking random numbers. * Attempted to also reduce screen shake in situations where it was too strong. We may have to do further adjustments in the future as well. * Updated descriptions of various items to help players learn how they are used. * Tweaked dungeon generation code so dungeons do not spawn near player spawn. * Updated loot spawns of wooden chests; average potion vials should be easier to get now. * Updated the bonus loot chests in kingdom to also not give you super OP items that you shouldn't be able to get in the early game. * Updated loot spawns of the breakable vases to not give you so much copper, but also made sure you would still get some interesting things from them. * Also made small changes to loot table of wooden crates. * Made it so kobold spears have a "soft collision", so when you walk into a spear, it will push you away a bit. So it is no longer a hard collision. The force can be adjusted. * Updated water generation code, so ponds should be a bit more spread out. * Updated ambient water sounds you hear near water. * Cave troll now has a bit more health, and also is a bit heavier too. (He's been eating more dwarves recently...) * Gave many items a base sell value so it's more worth it to sell certain items. * Added more information for tooltips of melee weapons. * Adjusted the armor values of some wearable head items. * Reduced the effect time (for the glowing effects) given when eating Gloweed and Luminous fungus.
[Fixes]
* Fixed bug where removing torches would lock aim direction. * Added character limit to the name field when creating a new character. * Fixed an issue where swinging a pickaxe at a plant/mushroom would result in giving the player 2 "rng rolls" on the loot that drops from that plant. * (Finally) Fixed the issue where you would see mining sparks far from where you were mining (typically near spawn). * Small fixes to the pivot positions of some sprites, so the y-position sprite sorting works properly for them. * Fixed pivots of many melee weapons and pickaxes so it looks like the dwarf is properly holding them now. * Fixed issue in Bestiary section of Journal where the description of a monster would overflow into the entry below it. We have now added a scroll bar to each entry so you can read everything now. * Fixed issue where pushing the Min. Craft button when you were missing crafting ingredients would default to 1 item, now defaults to 0 if you cannot afford item. * Fixed issue where after crafting an item to the point that you had no more ingredients left, it would not set the craft amount color to red.
⛏ Dwarf Party! ⛏ - Developer Stream
Ahoy bearded brethren!
We hope you'll be diggin' the demo of Below the Stone this week for Steam Nextfest. We have a short update for all the fans following our game.
We will be streaming on our store page to answer fan questions, take suggestions, and talk about the origin of Below the Stone and its team! If you'd like to take part in this event, and stay up with the latest Below the Stone news, drop a follow on our store page!
We will be updating the demo again for Nextfest, as well as dropping a Changelog for everyone interested in all that is new before Early Access!
Thank you all for making this game the success that it is!
- Mike @ Strollart; Below the Stone
⛏ Dwarf Party! ⛏ - Developer Stream
Ahoy bearded brethren!
We hope you'll be diggin' the demo of Below the Stone this week for Steam Nextfest. We have a short update for all the fans following our game.
We will be streaming on our store page to answer fan questions, take suggestions, and talk about the origin of Below the Stone and its team! If you'd like to take part in this event, and stay up with the latest Below the Stone news, drop a follow on our store page!
We will be updating the demo again for Nextfest, as well as dropping a Changelog for everyone interested in all that is new before Early Access!
Thank you all for making this game the success that it is!
- Mike @ Strollart; Below the Stone
Below the Stone Dev/Art stream!
Matt, our deputy artist on Below the Stone, will be working on his art live -- on the front of the Below the Stone store page! He will be around to dig into your burning Below the Stone questions, and to talk about what it's like being the artist on Below the Stone. A lot of new enemies, creatures, and features are being worked on for Early Access, and this will be your sneak peek into the depths of what is to come!
Show you support and come watch us live, starting 8pm EST!
Below the Stone Dev Stream
Ahoy bearded brethren!
We hope you'll be diggin' the demo of Below the Stone this week for Steam Nextfest. We have a short update for all the fans following our game.
We will be streaming on our store page to answer fan questions, take suggestions, and talk about the origin of Below the Stone and its team! If you'd like to take part in this event, and stay up with the latest Below the Stone news, drop a follow on our store page!
We will be updating the demo again for Nextfest, as well as dropping a Changelog for everyone interested in all that is new before Early Access!
Thank you all for making this game the success that it is!
- Mike @ Strollart; Below the Stone
HUGE demo update! Coming to Steam Nextfest.
A big update is coming to Below the Stone's demo!
Below the Stone's demo was a massive success for us, with an average playtime being well above the typical time seen on Steam demos.
We actively listen to all our fans and players who take the time to play our demo, so we have many new features, player suggestions, and quality of life improvements added to Below the Stone's early preview. This new demo will likely drop next week, so keep your eyes peeled for updates here on Steam, and in our Discord.
To thank our fans, we have several streams we're hosting here on Steam for Nextfest! We want to talk with YOU the fans, the people who know this game best other than the developers themselves. We're going to get the whole dev team to stream during the event as the week goes by, so get ready for some fun, wild, unfiltered times at Strollart Studios.
We hope to see you there on stream during Oct 9-16!
Pre Alpha 0.7.1 Hotfix is Now Live! (change log)
We want to thank the thousands of players who have come to play our first public demo, and for all those who reported bugs to us on our Discord and gave tons of great feedback!
This update is our way of saying thank you to those who've played, and making the experience just a little bit better by fixing a bunch of bugs and issues that many people have reported.
We don't want this demo to be a static thing that is the same from day one. We want this to be a show of what the overall development of Below the Stone is going to be; Listening to the community, talking about our plans. And then delivering updates that are strongly based on player feedback to show that we are listening. Though, with full disclosure, it needs to be clear that some updates may be more strongly focused towards our own internal plans for things that need to be done. But the importance of devs listening to the community will never be forgotten, and will always be a priority. We know this very strongly, because we are also gamers who've witnessed studios/devs slowly loosing touch with their community. And we believe that is a sign of the downfall of a studio.
Community always matters, when it comes to games on the internet.
So with all of that being said, I now present the change log for this update. So everyone can go out and witness these changes for themselves.
Change Log
Below The Stone - Pre Alpha 0.7.1
* Those really annoying explosions that would happen in the caves? Yea those, we call them "weak walls". Those were intended to be "cave-ins" that were easier to avoid, but also just as freaky. So we have replaced the explosions with a longer "cave collapse" sequence which is fairer in terms of avoidance, but at least twice as thrilling and enjoyable to encounter.
* "Weak walls" (the things that used to explode) now spawn 2.5 times less than previously. [from 0.5% to 0.2%] (Trust me, those percentages are small, but it's a considerable difference)
* Tweaked the loot tables for normal/gold chests in dungeons; you'll have to work a little harder for that good armor now. Gold chests will also have some more goodies, though.
* Also tweaked loot tables of "bonus chests" that you get in the kingdom
+ Added "remainder bar" to shopkeep ui (Imogen) to indicate that when you sell some items, the gold amount may have a little left over that doesn't go over into the next whole number.
* Selling items at the shopkeep will have a value reduction of 40% now (as was originally intended); hence the need for a "remainder bar".
* Addressed an issue where eating healing items (mushrooms) would cause the health bar to randomly show more health than there actually was, which made it appear that you would lose health when eating another mushroom. (should be fixed)
+ Added numerical health display along with the existing health bar
* Updated the "shadow texture" that appears over wall tiles, to give a more fair view of what ores or other things could embedded in the walls. (just not ears)
* Addressed an issue where walls would sometimes be broken/unminable, combined with distant explosions (no, that was not the game self-destructing). Long story short, the distant explosions were related to the bug. Things weren't being unloaded properly.
* Torches now burn enemies when hit!
+ Added some extra description to some items
* Made descent end screen (escape drill pod) ui sounds a bit more quieter. Hopefully, it's not as jarring now.
* Adjustments to creature ai to try and fix object avoidance
* Updated colors of "object selectors" to be more consistent
+ Added special "can't mine" icon to "mining selector" to indicate that a wall can't be mined. (helpful for our color-blind peeps)
* Kroz the Grizzled Miner (in caves) now has a light and tries really hard to not occupy the same space as another rock. 🤞
* Updated wood sprite to now be an image of a plank. (you're welcome Jonny)
+ Added Dopefish.
* Spiders no longer machine-gun their spider webs rambo-style into a wall when their view of the player is obstructed.
* Reduced the health of skull spawners (skeletons) and tent spawners (kobolds), so you might have a fighting chance now.
* Fixed a bug where dead kobolds may still move around and attack even though they are clearly laying face flat on the ground.
* Spawners (skull and tent) now act a bit more like Minecraft spawners; their respawn timer only counts down if their "total entities spawned" counter is not at its maximum. So you can kill a spawned monster, and another one won't instantly spawn right as it dies, which should make dealing with spawners more fair.
* Fixed a bug where the player would sometimes get flung at high speed after closing a dialog window. This was due to the dialog window pausing the physics simulation (as intended), but for some reason, the velocity of the player would "accumulate".
* Fixed a bug where players would be stuck frozen if they exited the game while in a dialog window (physics was still paused, and would never unpause).
* Updated dynamite recipe to require guano 🤤
+ Added a literal trash can to the kingdom that you can throw items into.
* Updated newsletter button on the main menu (now directs to a webpage with form).
FREE DEMO AVAILABLE NOW
We are so excited to have finally made it to this point! We want everyone who has been following us over the years to not miss this opportunity and join the community in playing the game. Also, we want to hear your thoughts on the game and see what kind of progress you make while playing!
You can try out the free demo on our Steam page, and we want you to join our Discord and let us know what you think!
