Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten
DQDX Patch #5 -- Version 2.0.5c
Status:
Windows: YES
Mac: YES
Linux: YES
Changelog:
2.0.5c:
- Fixed a crash bug on beating bonus levels
2.0.5b:
- Crashdumper will provide a helpful notice on crashing
- Fixed crash bug with mods
- Turning off crash reports will also disable crash-dumper (possibly improves performance if you disable crashdumper, not sure. Certainly doesn't hurt performance to disable crashdumps).
2.0.5a:
Performance:
- Optimize pathfinding
- Kill memory leak
- Make sure projectiles are properly destructed & recycled
- Make sure shadows are properly destructed & recycled
- Make sure HP bars are properly destructed & recycled
- Make sure effects are properly destructed & recycled
- Make sure enemy wave blocks are properly destructed & recycled
Bugfixes:
- Added safer file saving (gracefully prevent crashes if file permissions forbid saving)
- Added warning if game cannot autosave
- Fix crash in mod interface
- Fixed the crashdumper so crash log files will now be produced in your game's save directory! (Screenshots on crash is currently broken, but everything else is logged)
- Fix some random crashes
- Make sure battle layouts are preserved in imported saves
- Removed redundant achievements.xml file write when boosting to level 5 (caused slight lag)
There are more patches to come. We will continue to fix any performance issues, bugs, or crashes you report, as well as bring a few new feature online such as Steam Cloud, Workshop, and Controller support.
DQDX Patch #4 -- Version 2.0.4c
Status:
Windows: YES
Windows XP: YES
Linux: YES
Mac: YES
Changelog:
- Fixed major memory leaks in battle
- Fix jumbled spells in "sorceress" sidequests
- Fixed false New Game+ message when getting the alternate ending
- Added renderer information to title screen (left side)
- Fixed crash on late-game NG+ boss battle in the Spanish localization
There is still a lot of work for me to do. There's a lot of little bugs I want to squash, and there's still performance gains to be made, but it should now be possible for most of you to push the endless battles much further than you could before. I will note that you should be able to get slightly better performance if you go into the options menu and turn off battle numbers and AOE highlights, and obviously running the game in a lower resolution helps too.
We also just added Windows XP support, but it's still compiling on the server, I'll update this post when it's ready. You can try it on test_public in the meantime:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/218410/discussions/0/358415738186608602/
DQDX Patch #3.5 -- Version 2.0.3a
I've just pushed 2.0.4 to the test_public beta branch, which fixes the memory leak many of you reported. Please test it! Details here:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/218410/discussions/0/358415738185811228/
2.0.3a is up now on the default branch. I've optimized even more things.
Status:
- Windows: YES
- Mac: YES Deploying now, check back later
- Linux: YES Deploying now, check back later
Changelog:
- Optimized tooltips (shouldn't cause a pause when drawing anymore)
- Optimized healer (square) range previews with the same trick
- Optimized circular range previews
- Optimized menu health bars on the side panels
- Optimized status effects & AOE attack effect sprites
- Optimized collision logic
In case you were wondering -- the range previews are most likely the cause of the stuttering during boosting & selecting defenders. Menu health bars were a hidden drag on performance as they get updated a lot, especially at 16x speed, and of course status effects & AOE sprites are everywhere. And collision is at the very core of the engine. I'm interested in seeing how the optimized version performs.
Please let me know if this improves performance for you.
Also, whenever posting an issue or bug report:
PLEASE include the exact version number you see on the title screen in the lower right hand corner.
Sometimes the steam client doesn't download an update, or I just haven't rolled the update out for your operating system yet, and it's very important to know whether the version you're having issues with is the same one I've just "fixed" or not.
This build seems stable so I will now roll it out to Mac & Linux as well (and our other stores, I haven't forgotten you, GOG customers!)
There's more work for me to do in optimization and in general bug fixes, I'm just going down the triage list from most to least severe. Thanks to everyone who's been reporting issues.
DQDX Patch #3 -- Version 2.0.3
Windows: YES
Mac: Not yet
Linux: Not yet
Changelog:
Achievements:
- Fix wrong 100% progress indicator on locked achievements
- Fix the false achievements for equipment related stuff
- Added ability to undo achievements one by one (hover on the achievement icon in the achievement menu, then click the X) in case you want to reset one b/c of the previous bug
- Fixed some issues with paths & saving related to achievements
Performance:
- Made battles a lot faster and use less memory (as far as I can tell)
For more details see this thread:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/218410/discussions/0/358415206097607530/
Update 06/21/2016 10:02 PM
I just pushed 2.0.3a to test_public beta branch for Windows
http://steamcommunity.com/app/218410/discussions/0/358415206097607530/#c358415738179486170
This adds even more performance improvements. Please test & let me know if it makes things better.
DQDX Patch #2 -- Version 2.0.2a
Current status:
- Windows: YES
- Mac: YES
- Linux: YES
Changelog for 2.0.2a:
- Fixes "transparent menu scrolls" / "hard to read text" in resolutions > 1080p
- Fixes broken "slow start" and "slow end" books (ie, "enemies being pushed off the map at start" bug)
- Fixes crash in the credits screen
The "transparent menu scrolls" bug caused the background texture for various menu popups not to appear, so you'd just have floating black text on a nearly unreadable screen. This has to do with texture memory running out at Ultra-HD resolutions.
As a temporary workaround, I've capped the game's internal resolution at 1080 vertical pixels. If you select a fullscreen resolution larger than that, what the game is doing is upscaling from 1080 vertical pixels using a shader. This way it will at least fill your screen, without requiring any more video memory.
I will see if I can find a better solution eventually, but I wanted to get this patch out right away so that everyone can at least play the game with their current devices.
PLEASE let me know if the bug persists for any of you, and if it does, please note at which resolutions the bug starts to appear.
We will continue to patch this game relentlessly until we have taken care of all the major issues.
Since it's the weekend, if there's no more major bugs, I'm going to take a break and will resume my patching duties on Monday. I will check in on this thread occasionally to make sure there aren't any emergencies, however.
DQDX Patch #1 -- Version 2.0.1b & 2.0.1c
(Just pushed 2.0.1b live for Windows & Linux, I'm working on Mac/Linux builds as we speak, they'll go up in the next two hours tomorrow)
EDIT 11:40 AM CST June 17 2016: Linux is up. Working on Mac.
EDIT 12:16 PM CST June 17 2016: Mac is up.
- Russian/foreign-language characters in your user directory should no longer make the game explode
- Fix null error when using "use cheapest technique" targeting error
- Fix "scale must be >= 0" error
- Fix fail penalty actually being a bonus
- Removed F2 instavictory cheat key accidentally left in
- Fix bug where characters not yet found in NG+ mode would prevent them from being usable in regular game once NG+ was started
- Updated the credits with DX contributors (more to come)
- File Dialogs should not crash anymore
- The correct save path should be respected
- Locale choice should be saved
- Fullscreen options should work much better now
- You can now pick any window size up to and including your fullscreen resolution (this means the biggest window might be slightly too big, but it seemed confusing to some people why they couldn't pick 1080p if they had a 1080p screen)
- Fixed crash in party screen for users playing in ultra widescreen
- Fixed lots of crash bugs
2.0.1c:
- Fixed crash bug in prison cutscene
- Fixed "cheating enemies" bug in bonus battles when played in original art mod + high resolution
NOT yet fixed, but coming soon in patch #2, Version 2.0.2x:
- Better 4K resolution support (the "transparent scrolls" bug)
- Bugged / fake achievements
- Slow End / Slow Start books causing monsters to be pushed off the map
- Enemies "cheat" on bonus levels in original art mode + resolutions higher than 800x600
- Performance issue for some users (most users say performance is good)
- (And a few others)
The biggest bug we have yet to address is the fact that in higher resolutions the texture memory runs out and scroll menu backgrounds become transparent, making menu text hard to read. The current workaround is to play the game in a lower-resolution window until patch 2.0.2x is out.
The first patch hits most of the stability issues, and we will do our best to get all the remaining major stuff patched within 72 hours so that everyone will have a nice gaming experience this weekend :)
If you encounter any more bugs, please post them here:
http://www.github.com/larsiusprime/tdrpg-bugs
Defender's Quest DX update is HERE and FREE!
Your game should automatically update. You will have the choice of playing the new version ("Deluxe" or "DX" edition), or the old version ("Legacy" edition).
- Your old saves will be detected so you can import them to the DX version
- You can manually export legacy saves and import into DX (Do not try the reverse, it'll probably break)
Launch trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDVFcP1a6qc
"What's New?" trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEarmXpMag8
New features
- Massively improved graphics (yes you can optionally use the old art still)
- Azra's journal now available in regular game
- HD-capable engine -- no more 800x600 lock!
- Haxe/C++ based NATIVE engine -- no more Flash/Adobe AIR!
- 60 FPS
- Greatly expanded w/ new story content (play New Game+ to get the extra stuff)
- New "behind the scenes" journal detailing the game's development
- Many bugfixes/tweaks from the original
- And lots more!
Coming soon
- Steam workshop support (mod support exists for DQDX but is bare-bones at the moment)
- Steam cloud support
- Steam controller support
- Regular controller support
- Detect Big Picture mode and launch in fullscreen
- Fixing any & all bugs we inevitably discover at launch
Final notes:
Translations
All of the original translations from the legacy version have been ported over. Since we added a lot more text, these are now "incomplete" -- but they have as much content as they did in the original. There will undoubtedly be some missing text, which will simply appear in English. The vast majority of this new text is in the journal content, however, so the regular game should be quite complete, especially in terms of interface text.
We will seek to patch/improve these in the next month or so. There are also likely lots of text overflows and other visual glitches, which we seek to correct whenever we find them, but the game should be basically playable start to finish.
Bugs
There will be bugs. If you find them, please report them here:
https://github.com/larsiusprime/tdrpg-bugs
And do be a friend and check to see if a bug has already been posted before filing a duplicate report ;)
Defender's Quest DX launching June 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEarmXpMag8
Our public build server has the latest version of the demo if you want to check it out now. (And If you find any bugs, please post them here and I will do my best to fix them ASAP!)
Review copies
If you are a journalist, youtuber, twitch streamer, or anyone in the position to let people know about the game, please get in touch and we will get you a review key and presskit with updated media materials ASAP. We'll also be contacting various media figures individually, but this list is pretty big and I don't always know who is and isn't on it, so I don't want to miss anyone :)
Here's the scoop:
Free to all existing owners
All new HD sprite and character graphics
Ability to use the old art if you like
No more Adobe AIR
Azra's Journal available right from the start
New Game+ expanded with extra story content
"Hero Mode" is now an explicit game mode
Overhauled resolution-agnostic user interface
Battles go up to x16 speed now
Can import saves from the original game
New "behind the scenes" developer's journal in New Game+
Gamepad + Steam Controller support (nearly finished - will try to have this on launch day)
And a lot of other things I probably forgot :)
Touching on a few of these points:
Free to all existing owners
If you already own Defender's Quest on any of our current stores, then you'll get a free update to the the Deluxe (DX) edition. You don't need to do anything to get the new version of the game. When launch day comes there'll just be an update, and you will be able to select Defender's Quest DX, or the old version (labeled "legacy") at any time.
No more Adobe AIR
Thanks to the magic of Haxe, OpenFL, and HaxeFlixel, Defender's Quest DX is no longer tied to Flash or Adobe AIR. The desktop builds are exported as native C++ apps powered by SDL2. This is particularly relevant for Linux users, who always had trouble installing the game because of the Adobe AIR dependency.
One of the cool things about Haxe is that it's multi-target. From one code base, we can target C++, HTML5, and even rusty ol' Flash if we still want to. So we'll be working hard to get a web-compatible demo build out, too.
Defender's Quest II?
And yes, we're still working on Defender's Quest II! Defender's Quest DX is built with the Defender's Quest II engine. Rather than make everyone wait until Defender's Quest II is totally finished before they can play something new, Defender's Quest DX gives you all a taste of what our hard work has made possible, as we continue to push forward towards DQII. After we recover from launch we'll have more to say about DQII, stay tuned!
Languages
We will do our best to port over the existing translations. That said, we've added a bunch of new text and we probably won't have every bit of the new stuff translated on day one. But most of that new text is in the expanded journal content, so unless you're playing New Game+ you really won't be missing out on much, if anything. German will have a full translation on day one, and Spanish and French will have mostly full translations on day one. The rest we'll have to see about, but we'll do our best. We'll get everything complete eventually with post release patches.
Mod support/Workshop
Mod support is already functional in DQDX, but the game files have changed a bit so unfortunately "legacy" mods for the original game won't work as-is with DQDX. That said, after launch I will post some documentation describing what's different in case anyone wants to port their mods over. I may or not be able to have Steam Workshop supported for DQDX on day one -- I want to make sure that the interface doesn't get confused between the legacy and DX mod formats, so I'd rather take my time to make sure I do things right rather than muddy the waters. Making mods for the original DQ was not always easy so I have some ideas for how I can greatly improve the process this time around.
If you want to know more, you can discuss these topics on this forum thread.
Version 1.1.52, French Translation
Changelog:
- Polished up Italian Translation
- Added complete French Translation (marked as BETA for now)
- Fixed various glitches in UI related to translations
Note:
This is for Mac and Windows only. We have supported Linux for a long time, but sadly the only distribution DQ doesn't run well on is SteamOS, so even though the game will run on Ubuntu, etc, Steam has removed our "Supports Linux" store status as part of a new policy.
Therefore, we've decided to halt maintenance patches for the Linux version of Defender's Quest for now, and put those efforts towards DQHD instead. DQHD will have FULL Linux support -- native, c++ based, and without relying on adobe-AIR or clumsy installers. It will support SteamOS, big picture, and steam controller integration.
When the full version of DQHD releases, we will do one final round of maintenance patches for all platforms (including Linux), but then we'll be done with the old version of the game forever. And yes, you'll be able to switch between the legacy version of DQ (what you're playing now), and DQHD, on any store you own the game on, including Steam.
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Also, in case you missed it, the upcoming free HD upgrade of Defender's Quest has a public demo you can play RIGHT NOW:
http://steamcommunity.com/games/218410/announcements/detail/72420041512693587
Defender's Quest HD Public Demo now available
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=578247612
So, I know you've been waiting patiently for Defender's Quest HD. Although we're not releasing the full version today, we are releasing a demo version available for you to try, right now! It encompasses the same amount of content as the original demo.
It's not perfect, and it probably has some bugs, but we figure it's better to get it out there in front of a small audience now, collect feedback, and fix as many things as we can rather than continue to noodle on it in private and suffer from tunnel vision.
You can find builds for Windows, Mac, and Linux here:
Defender's Quest HD Demo: Initial Public Test
Do note that the graphics are not in a 100% final state, and that controller support still needs a decent amount of work. Eventually we plan on integrating the Steam controller, too. But this should give you a pretty good feel for what the new engine is capable of.
Keep in mind that this is also literally the Defender's Quest II engine, it's just running the game content from Defender's Quest I. So this also represents a huge milestone towards the completion of Defender's Quest II, as well.
Please let us know if you have any trouble with the builds, there's instructions in the linked blog post for posting feedback and bug reports.
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In semi related news, I wrote this other blog post the other day some of you might find interesting, it includes details about the HD remake process for DQHD:
http://www.fortressofdoors.com/doing-an-hd-remake-the-right-way-ffvi-edition/