Dr4x
Hotfix #2 for Update "4B1E1E"
Changes:
-RoseBud tavern now hints a tad more bluntly what you need to do on the missions it is in.
-If you go to the RoseBud Tavern after exauhsting previous conversation options, it gives you some...additional context.
Hotfix #1 for Update "4B1E1E"
Changes:
-Fixed story soft lock
-Fix bug where renovations and other missions would hang on first turn due to weird errors because i made all the "misc" "units" on the map belong to the wildlife team.
-Fixed weird slowness on some missions
"4B1E1E" Major update! DR4X Changelog #68 03/04/2023
However, due to the sheer number of spoilers this update contains, I can't provide you with many screenshots or details. I don't want to spoil the surprise for you! So, this will be a bit of a peculiar changelog, and I won't be divulging too many details.
I couldn't have achieved this monumental update without the help of my talented friends. A huge shoutout to Robbie, who composed the music, and Grimwit, who contributed more of his stunning art. They are champs and helped me massively! I especially want to thank Grim for keeping me sane through this, this would have taken way longer and destroyed my motiovation if i didnt have him to unload on.
Gameplay and UI
-A new proper story with a beginning, middle and end and brimming with meta-storytelling elements that draw inspiration from Undertale and DDLC among other things.
--This update marks the first 'chapter' in a series of six for the story, so prepare for at least five more significant, named updates like this one after a few of usual changelogs to clean stuff up and add other misc gameplay elements.
---This is the bulk of this update
----No i wont spoil it
-----To me, this is massive as i've always been striving for this sort of thing but i just couldnt get it to click, but now it clicks, really well.
-Three new OST tracks.
-Several new unit portraits (As usual) some completely new, some modified for lore reasons.
Feast your eyes on SOME of them here.
-Several new 3d models for a few things (Including the new crypts, the corpses etc)
-The game can get much, much, more meta.
--This will get improvements later
-Removed "Next Scenario" button as it allowed for sequence breaks.
-All corpses are now his.
-Added several new terminal commands for players to use
-Massive updates to main menu
-Added interactable that changes es3 codes for my use
-I've ramped up the game's reactivity in many, many weird ways that you'll have to experience for yourself.
-The high ground tutorial now is much better at hammering down the literal main mechanic of this game.
-Added unconventional victory system (In a previous devlog this was referred to as pacifist victories) they have been renamed for repectfulness and gameplay reasons and all except one mission has them.
-The game now can mess with you in ALL the scenarios
--I am leaning into the stuff folks liked from previuous versions.
-All missions have recieved major updates
-Added some randomization on scenarios, majesty style
-Added new typespeed modifier to dialogue
-Added mission unlocks and "New Missions Available" notification
-Added some secret easter egg commands to main menu
-Changed highlighted tiles to be grayscale and team colored
-Losing Text Changes Sometimes
-The internals of the game have been nearly entirely reworked. But you wont really "see" this so, meh.
-Started adding modding support
Bug Fixes
-When you highlight marsh or swamp with mouse the fog is hidden
-Fixed numerous typos
-Fixed oversight where taking treasure on novus imperium makes you detected
-Fixed final remaining spot where I wasn't taking into account personalization for the name of the os
-Fix oversight with vigil
-Added loads of hints to help players with the new camapign
-Changed "Team Color" deploy mode option to be similar to highlighted
-Make it so cities and towns have more "connection" to the world
-Fixed bug with [writhe] text tag
-Recentered panel on main menu
Balancing
-On renovations you can now recover units lost to the swamp
-Added more treasure and other cool stuff to high ground and various other missions to encourage exploration
-If a bunch of units die there is a chance foree something scary to happen
-I created an algorithm for determing the "distance" between two different colors, so that if for example, you choose red or a color like red no enemy team will be assigned a "close" color. It doenst care as much about their color in relation to other ai player colors though. Because checking every player every time would be painfully slow. But if you play as a bandit and use the color gray now, no other bandits/players will be a similar shade of gray anymore, for example.
-Some pathfinding optimizations
NEWS
As you may have noticed, this changelog is a bit shorter than usual. However, don't be fooled by its terseness. Today's update is a whopping gigabyte in size, which is significantly more than my usual 50 or so megabyte updates. This is because this update is colossal and includes a multitude of unmentioned changes. However, I won't be revealing any spoilers, so be sure to update your game and try it out.
Also, if the puzzles are too difficult etc, utilize the steam forum to help each other out and report any bugs or whatever you find on the steam forum aswell.
You may also consider joining my discord (linked on the store page)
After this there will be 5 other "major" updates like this one, but i will be resuming the normal changelogs in the mean time until ive planned out the next part.
DR4X Art Stream
https://www.twitch.tv/natch_evil
Only 1 thing left in the trello :D
DR4X Art Stream
https://www.twitch.tv/natch_evil
Dev is smooth, i just had more dialogue to write than i expected.
edit:
forgot to mention that stream is now over
Making Progress!, DR4X Devlog 2/19/2023
I'm making great progress with the update, and I only have three items left on my Trello board for it so it wont be released today but it will probably be released soon.
I'd like to take a moment to discuss some of the coolest new features that are on the horizon.
Firstly, the main menu has been completely reworked and I also now give the big updates proper names, even if they might look meaningless to you guys, example, this upcoming update is the 4B1E1E update.
Why?
Well.
Anyway moving on!
For an insane amount of time, I've been eager to implement a mission unlock system, and I'm thrilled to announce that it will be included in this upcoming update. The primary goal of this system is to regulate the pace of the game by preventing players from immediately tackling the most challenging missions. In addition, this new feature will offer intriguing decision-making opportunities and will help to structure the campaign in a more cohesive manner.
In addition to the mission unlock system, I've also incorporated a "pacifist" route into the game, which you'll need to discover on your own. This route is available for all missions except one, and it provides players with alternative methods to complete a mission that aren't explicitly disclosed and counts for mission unlocks aswell. It also adds a new layer of strategy and intrigue to the game.
(Art is subject to change)
There are obviously new bits in the missions aswell. With some missions being completely overhauled.
There is also the story. Which is kinda insane TBH.
There are also updates to the non-campaign portion of the game, though most of the updates this time arent there. I fixed some issues that made skirmishes less fun than they could be, i added a system so that no ai player gets a color similar enough to yours to be confusing, and more deploy mode options in the options menu (You can customize the "theme" of your deploy mode there) and various other tweaks around the edges.
About the story, its weird, but in a good way. Some of th epuzzles might require you to use a pen and paper to solve.
There is also some fleshing out of the background details around things, adding more weight to the buttons you click in popups and so on.
Anyway, it should be cool.
Unfortunately I will also be clearing all your victory history with this update. Sorry, with all these changes I couldnt maintain cross compatibility.
When the update drops I will also be dropping a changelog with the full list of all the changes.
Thanks for playing DR4X! And i hope you enjoy the next update :)
DR4X Art Stream!
Join here!
https://www.twitch.tv/natch_evil
edit:
Stream over
DR4X Art Stream!
Join here!
https://www.twitch.tv/natch_evil
edit:
Stream over
Story, DR4X Devlog 2/05/2022
I have a devlog for you this week in lieu of the usual changelog. I've decided to delay the changelog for a few more weeks, and in its place, I'll be sharing the progress I've made with DR4X in a more chill way and just my thoughts.
So its no surprise that i've been hinting at something real big for the game for the past few weeks. This is because I've realized that this game has a huge problem (And thats a given, given this is my first ever Steam game), that problem is that it has a lot of coherent background lore, gameplay ideas, and secrets, but I never really had a solid plan for an interconnected story that seamlessly integrated the 4x style campaign missions and skirmishes (Which are inspired by my favorite game, Majesty) with the overarching story which is more inspired by ..errm...other weirder games.
Serious question for observant players, did you see this message and not think it was really weird.
So the main point of the game never really materialized for many.
[Spoilers Ahead, Skip If You Don't Want Spoilers]
The original plan was to keep the subgame, which is ACTUALLY a psychological horror, puzzle game based around using a haunted game in a haunted terminal to uncover and resolve your "predicament", separate from the 4x game but in the same package (which i tried to design to be as approachable as possible for new 4x players), hinting occasionally at a deeper storyline without majorly interfering with the gameplay.
However, this plan kinda backfired, and the game became disconnected and confusing to some, with the highlights of the game actually being when the real story interrupted the usual gameplay or people being actually satisified by the 4x gameplay by itself or undersatisified and just walking away and not looking deeper and therefore missing a lot of really cool things. However after recieveing loads of feedback from more people then you would expect telling me how much they loved how much the game "messed" with you. I realized that to create something memorable I needed to lean into this dichotomy far more.
For those who just enjoy the 4x game part for what it is (depsite how incomplete it is) in the future you may find yourself running into weirder elements more often, but you will be able to play as normal (though the game might actually TRY TO mess with you because of this, leading to hilarity), and btw for those who have played while avoiding the horror, and posted videos on youtube I absolutrely love some of your reactions to weirder stuff heh.
It would have been great to keep this stuff completely seperate and pretend that its just a normal 4x forever. But then more than half the players would stay completely unaware of the thing they were actually playing and they wouldn't be able to experiance the deeper story i'm trying to tell with this portion of the game without digging deep on their own volition. Now the game may give you a proper reason to dig deep beyond your insatiable lust for knowledge.
Did you wonder who this was?
I was HOPING that word of mouth would reveal the "truth" but it seems like either peopel saw the weirdness and assumed these were distractions or easter eggs while remaining blissfully unaware. Or they figured it out and kept quiet about it (Noble). Or I had just failed to communicate this well due to my inexperiance and due to the game's incompleteness and it just hadn't really materialized the way I wanted, which ya know, fair given this is my first "story based' game.
So, because of this I've spent the last couple of weeks fleshing out the real story and implementing all the necessary things to allow players to experience it as they play through the game to hopefully make the gameplay more interconnected. Though its mainly focused on the campaign and less on the skirmishes (which is a whole other can of worms to deal with, one step at a time).
Some players certainly wont figure it out, but i've now left more threads for people to pick up on around.
The main reason for the changelog delay is that i have decided to split the story into 6 sections. And I have not yet completed the "1st" section (Which requires, art and music and so on) and i feel like it just wouldn't do it justice to release those changes to you guys in a half finished state.
This obviously hasn't stopped me in the past. But i'm actually really happy with all the progress i've made. And after I deploy these changes it will all stay subject to change, art and code can be done fast, but music and story and puzzles take awhile so you may see me swapping music and so on.
Thanks for reading my excessively long ramble.
Also yes, still also working on new factions heh.
DR4X Art Stream!
Rad, bro! Let's shred the gnar together and join up here
https://www.twitch.tv/natch_evil
Edit:
stream over and we didnt end up doing art anyway