The long awaited, Kickstarter final stretch goal, ENDLESS DUNGEON MODE is almost here!
We are just adding the finishing touches to the score system and fixing bugs with well, the endless dungeon generation.
We've also added leader-boards, so you'll be able to compete with other players to reach the top (currently held by our very own ELIDEB).
More details coming soon!
UPDATE #56: NEW YEAR'S PATCH 1.0.6
Happy New Year 2017
Today we're releasing a patch with changes to the game's ending, high resolution improvements and other improvements.
We hope you like it!
ENDING
Now, once SLASH is present at the final encounter, it can be defeated as usual, getting you the "bad ending." We have also made some changes so that it's a bit easier to guess how to achieve the "good ending."
HIGH RESOLUTION FIXES
We have also fixed some issues we found in high resolutions. The most important is automatic font scaling. When playing at higher resolutions (1080 and up), the fonts are scaled almost linearly. It will be specially noticeable when playing on television sets.
The other resolution related fix affects cutscenes, which were not properly letterboxed.
BUGFIXES
And then there are a series of fixes:
Fixed respawning when falling off the level for a second time.
Fixed issue with dialogues which might lock the game at very low resolutions.
Fixed overlaps with cinematic sequence black bars in non-16/9 resolutions.
UPDATE #55: PATCH 1.0.5
Quick patch!
Thanks for all people who have reported the errors in the third level. We have finally managed to find the root cause of the remaining issues, so we expect no more serious issues in that regard.
We have also introduced a quick fix for the UI, which did not render properly in very high resolutions (4K and such).
Have fun!
UPDATE #54: HALLOWEEN PATCH 1.0.4
Hell-o to all of you!
We bring a new patch today, featuring a couple of smaller fixes and a request from our players.
HALLWOEEN REMINDER
But before that, a quick reminder: an extra character can be unlocked during this and the next week. It comes with its own achievement, but it still cool nonetheless!
So remember to run the game and try it out!
LOCKED FRAMERATE
Regarding the patch, it brings some minor improvements, but the most relevant change is the addition of a locked framerate option. If you're PC is beefy enough, you're probably running Heart&Slash at 200+ frames per second, unnecessarily turning your system into a small scale heater.
Now, by default, Heart&Slash runs at locked 60fps. That should be good enough for most users, but those interested in higher (or lower) framerates in tandem with v-sync, you can modify the framerate by editing the video settings file and adding or modifying a line:
fpsLimit:30
to set the framerate to locked 30fps.
If the line is not present, you can change any video setting, exit the game to make sure the new value is saved and then open the settings file.
Of course, we don't recommend setting the framerate to anything below 30fps, because the game will run much slower than desired and the dynamic resolution system will kick in.
OTHER FIXES
In the patch we've included other improvements:
Updates to the Simplified Chinese translation
COPS blockade no longer obstructs passage through doors in the second level
Dynamic resolution could fail to activate because of a misconfiguration
Enjoy the game during these special days. We're preparing some more content. Once we have something to show, we'll let you all know!
Thanks for playing and keeping up to date with us!
UPDATE #53: PATCH 1.0.3
Welcome to a new patch.
This time, we're doing mostly bugfixing. The most important affects level 3, to which we have mda some modifications, trying to solve issues affecting modules which never appeared after an arena, or the current module going away, taking the player with it. We have used the chance to tweak some rooms, making them easier to navigate.
We have also fixed an error cause by the water in the second level. It lead to some leaked memory, which might be the cause behind some player's having the level failing to fully load. We're still investigating if there are any other factors at play.
The full list of changes is:
Fixed Boomerang and American Shield floating away when hit enemies were destroyed.
Fixes to the third level.
Fixed null refs in sewers.
Fixed water and vegetation shaders, broken in patch 1.0.2 (only affected Linux players which got the patched version)
Fixed Z-fighting in first level.
And, since patch 1.0.2 was only released for Linux, and extra fix for Windows users:
Beatstick hard attack broke character animations if used in two different levels.
We will release updated MacOS builds tomorrow.
Thanks for the support!
UPDATE #52: Patch 1.0.2 for Linux
Another week, another patch.
This is a small one, only affecting Linux. We have managed to find and fix the cause of the crashes many players got when starting the game.
We're very grateful to all testers who helped reporting the problems and testing the different fixes we attempted.
This patch also includes a small fix for the Beatstick, which will be propagated to other platforms as soon as we fix a serious issue currently affecting the third level of the game. Until the next patch is up, we recommend not using the beatstick if possible in Windows or MacOS X.
UPDATE #51: PATCH 1.0.1
We have just uploaded a new patch for Linux and Windows. The most important changes are fixes to the third level. The events in which geometry vanishes, making it impossible to continue progressing, should be fixed.
We have also enabled support for 21:9 resolutions (and others), increased the safe zone for people playing on TV sets and fixed some issues with the minimap.
We have some pending issues regarding the third level and crashes in Linux. We're looking into them and will release a new patch when they're fixed.
MacOS X builds will be uploaded when we can.
Thank for your support!
FAN ART FOR HEART&SLASH ARTBOOK!
Hello!
The first time Heart&Slash went public, it was to ask our fans for help in bringing this dream to reality. We did a crowdfunding campaing through KickStarter, which we completed successfully.
As part of the campaign, we had several rewards for those willing to participate, one of them being a digital artbook. We are starting to work on it and the aim is to show how we've moved from our original ideas to the final version of the game you are playing now.
But since the release of the game we've seen such great fanart on twitter, Steam, mail and other channels that we came up with a new idea: why not include some of it in the art book? If it's supposed to show how the game has evolved, our players' interpretation of it is the final step. How you view Heart, Slash and the other characters is a part of this journey. And a very interesting one, too: we've seen re-imaginings of our robots that we never even considered a possibility, but loved the moment we saw them.
If you want us to include your fan art in the book, send it to us. We'll select our favourites and include them in it. Those we select will receive the artbook, even if they did not take part on the crowdfunding campaign, and a Steam key. If you don't have the game, you will be able to enjoy it for free. If you already have it, you can send it as a gift to a friend or do as you please.
What are you waiting for? Send your best hi-def Heart&Slash fan art to info@aheartfulofgames.com, indicating that it is for the Artbook.
Thanks to all those who participate!
Edit: The deadline for submissions is September 15th, so we can do the selection and complete the artbook before the end of the month.
Legal notice:
As always, there is some legal stuff we need to be careful with: by sending the artwork to us, you grant us permission to reproduce it in the digital artbook. You also grant us permission to feature it in social networks or webs. Everywhere it is used, however, we will make sure you are acknowledged as the author.
If we think a change in the wording or the legal requirements is needed, we'll update this announcement. Also, we will send you a confirmation mail, so we can make sure we're using the artwork with your consent. And, finally, those who send us art are declaring themselves as authors of said art. Any legal issues that might arise regarding authorship will be directed to whoever sent the art.
UPDATE #50: OFFICIAL RELEASE
The time has finally come. Two and a half years since we officially started working on the project, Heart&Slash is released on PC. It's been a long journey, including a successful Kickstarter, lots on iteration on the different ideas on how to properly tell Heart's journey and, most of all, lots of work.
The release comes with the addition of the soundtrack as optional DLC.
We are very proud of the final form the game has reached. Thanks to the feedback from our backers and Early Access players, we think we have managed to reach a level of polish we wouldn't have otherwise. So far, the Steam reviewes are there to back this impression.
We hope it will remain the same and new players will enjoy it as much as we have creating it.
WHAT'S ON VERSION 1.0.0
For the official release we have implemented several fixes and improvements. These stack on top of the releases of the last couple of weeks, which introduced a new version of the third level, Super Elite versions of bots with randomized weaknesses and resistances and a refactor of how the heads worked.
The most important changes coming in 1.0.0 are:
Chances of getting a piece of equipment are greater if seen less often than others.
COPGORE encounter improvements, including speed, collisions and difficulty.
FRANK-Y encounter can be completed faster with physical equipment. But FRANK-Y is also a bit more vicious in its attacks.
And bugixes implemented:
Recycling heads with a target locked no longer breaks the camera.
Steps sound in third level fixed.
Disco Bomb plays in the music channel.
Also included is a present for hardcore players who were trying to unlock all achievements. In the enemies encyclopedia you can now see how many enemies of each kind you have defeated, making it easier to plan your runs.
WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THE FUTURE
We still have a Kickstarter goal to complete: the Endless Dungeon mode. We will start working on it now. It should be ready in a few weeks and will be released on a beta channel before going live.
We also have to work on some rewards for Kickstarter backers. We will get in touch with you as things progress.
And, of course, we'll keep fixing bugs and making small improvements gradually.
FOR PLAYERS OF OLD BUILDS
If you were an Early Access player but have not played for some time, be adviced that some configuration files have changed in recent versions of the game. We recommend removing the settings files (and purging Steam's cloud sync for Heart&Slash) before playing again. Check the pinned discussion for information on how to do it.
And that's all. Thanks for the journey and enjoy the game!
Best wishes from the aheartfulofgames team.
UPDATE #49: BUGFIXES
Hi.
Quick update with fixes implemented during the weekend.:
Fixed arena in third level that triggered from below.
UI adjustments: cutscenes SKIP is visible again, map is hidden when returning to main menu, UNLOCK DESCRIPTOR is not shown at the start of each level.
Old shooter camera no longer breaks boss cameras.
And some improvements we've done, too:
Chasm rooms in the Factory's first section always have fences.
Camera no longer gets inside walls on B-DSS encounter.
KNOWN ISSUES
Recycling a head while targetting an enemy breaks the camera. Make sure you haven't locked a target when recycling a head until a fix is in place.
