This is another mostly-bugfix release. A very kind player submitted a whole lot of bug reports at once, and I've been working through them in order of severity. I think I've fixed all the crashing and game-breaking bugs. Also, you know how movement slows down in exploration mode when you're on a mecha mission? That's been fixed. Mecha movement is now just as fast as character movement. So that's good.
One of the best things you can do to support small indie game devs is to send us bug reports and feedback. I often get emails that apologize for bringing up problems, but you know what? Don't worry about it. Getting feedback like this lets us know that someone is enjoying the game and cares enough to help out instead of just tossing the game aside and moving on to the next shiny thing. It makes all the effort of making games (and take it from me, game dev is not easy) worthwhile. So thank you to everyone who has ever submitted a bug report or a feature request. I'm doing the best I can as a solo dev but your support and feedback make things so much easier. ːsteamthumbsupː
Here is the complete list of changes:
Added a clamp to prevent a rare and frankly inexplicable MemoryError exception in aibrain
Fixed bug when pressing Esc key from stash/mecha parts selector
Fixed bug with mecha inventory menu
Fixed crash if campaign save file can't be found when the time comes to delete it
Added preload_all_music configuration option
Encourage can no longer be used on monsters (which caused it to crash)
After combat, lance members will regroup so no-one is left in an inaccessible tile
Campaigns now save the waypoint the current scene was entered from
Fixed crash when sound player called while disable_audio_entirely is True
Disabling sounds in the configuration now actually disables sounds. Oops.
Fixed lag in mecha exploration movement [
v0.941: "Like tears in the rain... time to eject."
Happy Techno Thursday! Version 0.941 of GearHead Caramel has just been released. I have added a feature from previous GearHead games: enemy pilots will eject when their mecha becomes too damaged... or if they're intimidated by your lance. There are also a lot of bug fixes and stability improvements. Many thanks to everyone who reported the issues and helped me to track them down!
Here is the complete list of changes:
Added filename sanitizer for user generated files; may not be perfect yet
Fixed bug where style tags would not be applied to portrait bits later in list
NPCs may eject if they are severely damaged and/or if they are intimidated by the PC's lance
Increased the penalty for firing long range weapons at too short a distance
Newly created mecha get added to the design list without needing to restart the game
Fixed dialogue bug in DZREPC_CallOutChampionFight
Lancemate development conversations should no longer have irrelevant convo options
When gaining skill XP, your skill level can improve by multiple steps
Fixed bug in GearHeadCampaign dole_xp method
Shop rank now calculated by item type
Game will try to automatically switch to windowed mode if fullscreen causes it to crash
The manual has been updated
Moved the user folder on Windows computers from Home to the app folder/ghcaramel_user
As usual, try it out and let me know what you think.
GearHead Caramel v0.932: The Sound of Mecha
Happy Mecha Wednesday! This week's update finally brings sound effects to the game. Different actions and attacks now have different sounds. Over the coming weeks, I'll be experimenting with adding more sound (such as for movement, which is still silent).
In addition, the configuration menu has been updated so you can change even more options in-game without manually editing the config file. There's now an option to change the status bars in the pilot info block to numbers.
Here's the complete list of changes. As usual, try it out and let me know what you think.
Added starting messages to Raid on Pirate's Point, and fixed bug in STARTING_PLOT component
You can now set music volume, sound fx volume, and window size from config editor
Changed configuration editor to a column widget rather than a menu
Fixed bug where combat music won't start after resuming saved game
Sound effect library preloaded at startup
AnimObs now have support for sound effects
Two audio channels are now reserved for music
Added show_numbers_in_pilot_info config option
GHC v0.931: Raid on Pirate's Point
Version 0.931 adds a brand new adventure to GearHead Caramel: Raid on Pirate's Point. The Solar Navy has decided to remove the Aegis Consulate from Pirate's Point... and if they can get rid of the pirates at the same time, so much the better. You will join one of the factions involved in a battle for resources and territory. Strategic planning will be key to winning the war.
Please note that although this adventure is fully completeable, it may have bugs and does not have all the content it's eventually going to have... hence the big red "Early Access" stamp on the adventure card. Still, I've had a lot of fun playing it myself, and player feedback can help me to make it even better. So if you encounter any problems or have ideas for things you'd like to see then please let me know.
Here's the complete list of changes for v0.931:
Added "Raid on Pirate's Point" scenario, early access version
Fixed missing portrait/name when lancemate speaks during mecha combat
Fixed bug in missions not counting retreat as a loss
Changed the scene "END" trigger to "EXIT" to avoid conflict with the plot "END" trigger
Added memos to the main quest of DeadZone Drifter
Added "battle damage" to module display to aid color blind players
Fixed music skip when entering/leaving buildings
Fixed bug in Town Hall plot
v0.930: Expanded FieldHQ Character Info + Some Bugfixes
This release doesn't have a lot of highly visible changes, but that's because I've been working under the hood on the scenario editor and a new scenario. "Raid on Pirate's Point" is going to revisit some locations and characters from GH1. It is also going to introduce a new type of adventure to GearHead. It's also planned to be the first adventure that I create entirely using the scenario editor. But it's not finished. And I realized this morning that trying to finish it today would be, as we say in Newfoundland, about as stunned as me arse.
Here are the changes since the last public release:
Working on new scenario "Raid on Pirate's Point"
Fixed bug with SHOPS_PLUS INTERIOR_TAGS element
Regular terrain sets now clear the area around them, including border
Fixed bug with new FieldHQ modifications
A lot of work has been done on the scenario editor (still only available in dev mode)
Merit badges get their own tab in character display; show description and effects
You can view a character's biography, if it exists, from the FieldHQ
Fixed smudge on Trailblazer portrait
You can set the default mission music for an entire campaign
Added search path for music; may be located in player folder
Fixed bugs in world map editor
As usual, try it out and let me know how you like it.
GearHead Caramel v0.928: More Character Development
This version's release looks pretty minor... on the outside. There's a new intro scenario for DeadZone Drifter and some new enemy character development plots. On the inside, there are some bugfixes, music caching, and generalized world maps. I'm hoping to release some new scenarios in the near future and these changes lay the infrastructure for that.
Here's the complete list of changes:
Added world map editor to scenario editor (still only available in dev mode)
Added automatic tester for enemy conversation plots
Fixed bug with Haywire and Poison status effects
Added a lot more enemy character development conversations
Added a new intro to DeadZone Drifter for Pop Star characters
Music files are now cached, which should help avoid scene change disruptions
As usual, try it out and let me know what you think.
v0.927: Random Plots and Internationalization Starts
Happy Mecha Monday! Today's update adds two big features: random plots and the beginnings of internationalization support.
Random plots are events which are not directly connected to the core story of an adventure. They may be missions, odd jobs, or just actions taken by the people in town. I have even added the classic Cookies plot, with updated advice for GearHead Caramel.
The game can now use Japanese, Korean, and Chinese text. Nothing has been translated yet but the fact this works at all is a big thing. Probably some other languages that use non-Roman glyphs work as well. Currently the only use for this is in naming your character. The planned internationalization system will use csv databases to store text and will require a grammar and a language processor for each language to be added. I've been developing a random Korean name generator but the results so far have been mixed.
In case you can't read Korean, that first name is "Whiskey".
Here is the complete list of changes:
Fixed bug in Cookies random plot
Added many RANDOM_PLOT plots
Search range dropped to 6
The Neko is now properly a Gerwalk mecha
Added Korean Name Generator class; not highly effective yet
Changed the font family from "DejaVu" to "Source Han Sans" to provide Korean, Japanese, and Chinese support
Faction reaction class can store faction leader
pbge gets initialized before other units are imported
As usual, try it out and I hope you enjoy it.
v0.925: Deadly Dungeon Developments
It's Mecha Monday, which means a new release of GearHead Caramel! Version 0.925 adds some new stuff for dungeons. Every dungeon level now comes with at least one special feature- an encounter or room that is a little bit out of the ordinary. Some of these features will be good for your PC, while others will not be so good. In addition, many monsters now leave behind treasure- if you have the skill to take it. Characters who know the Wildcraft skill can harvest meat, pelts, and other valuable items from slain creatures. Scientists can disassemble robots and get a variety of useful items... or at least a pile of spare parts that might come in handy later.
In addition, there are some cosmetic improvements. New signs have been added for a number of businesses and other buildings. Restaurants and taverns now have tables and chairs (Dick Valentine would approve). Some new effects and animations have been added- you should try some of this giant rat steak, it's delicious.
But that's not all! The manual has been updated with a section on modding GearHead Caramel. I designed the game so that it'd be easy to add mods, but never bothered to document how to do it until now. Integration with the Steam Workshop is planned but this is my first game on Steam and I am still learning the API.
Here is the complete list of changes. As usual, try it out and let me know what you think.
Added image templates to the source code repository
Added RestoreMP, RestoreSP effects
Fixed bug when gear loader tries to load list inside a dict
Added treasure types to monsters
Monsters without legs don't get their movement rate downgraded
Added tables and chairs to bars and coffee shops
Campaign method get_relationship will return existing relationship if it exists
Most dungeon encounters don't regenerate _every_ day
Added dungeon extras to dungeon levels
Added more signs for different businesses
v0.924: Pets! Navigation improvements! New mecha!
The big change this time around is the addition of pets. Characters with a Wildcraft skill of 5 or greater can now call an animal companion. Each character can only have one companion active at a time, but there is currently no limit to how many you can have in the FieldHQ. You can also dismiss animal companions if you find that your FieldHQ is starting to look like a zoo. This addition paves the way for robots and other sorts of beasties, which will come in a future release.
I've also overhauled the way map scrolling works. You can now use the WASD keys to scroll the map, and you can also turn off mouse scrolling in the config menu. In addition, all keys are now configurable by editing the config.cfg file. Someday I will add an in-game key customizer, but like robotics today is not that day. See the game manual for more information.
Speaking of the game manual, it's been updated with info about the new combat interface (introduced over the last few releases) and now has a complete section on character creation. Do you wonder what each of the stats does? Want to know what the skills are used for? Wonder no more! All questions are answered in the manual. And if you have any more questions, please let me know so I can include the answers in the next release.
Two new mecha from previous GearHead games have been added: Aegis Overlord's elite commando unit the Luna II and the Solar Navy's basic trooper the Puma.
Lots of bugs have been fixed. Thanks to everyone who reported problems.
Here's the complete list of changes:
Fixed error in Kerberos dungeon
Fixed error in Challenge.deactivate method
Added Puma and Luna II mecha
Most keyboard actions now use is_key_for_action method, may be changed in config.cfg
Added a bunch more monsters
Characters with Wildcraft >= 5 can call animal companions
Added mouse_scroll_at_map_edges config option
Fixed a bug in the PartlyUrbanGenerator
WASD may now be used to scroll the map
Default combat hotkeys changed to 1,2,3,4,5
Refactored the map viewer to deal with tile-based focus and wrapping maps
Pets will attempt to follow their trainer during exploration
The latest release of GearHead Caramel adds a new tutorial- Bear Bastard's Mecha Camp. Learn everything you need to know about the game (mostly) from one of Earth's most notorious bandits (reformed, mostly). It's a short, fun adventure that walks you through all of the controls for exploration and combat. Plus, you get to spend the night in a wooden cabin on the edge of the dead zone. A cabin that may be infested with rats. Or worse. A good time will be had by all.
This release also adds jumping- mecha with jump jets can now use them to instantly leap over terrain. In addition, mecha designs that were jump-capable in previous GearHead games have been updated so they are jump-capable now. Note that this change is not retroactively applied to mecha you already own; you might want to hold onto those old versions, they may become collector's items.
In addition to the above there are a couple of minor bug fixes and enhancements. Try it out and let me know what you think.
