Some nice new bugs were introduced in the last update, but I managed to squish all of them fairly easily.
Enemies Attack through Floor
Somehow enemies no longer recognized being on a different floor and were able to attack the player from below. This was due to a change I made in the combat system. It should be resolved now...
Approve Key not Updating in Dialogue
The actual key was changed and worked correctly, but I had hard-coded the "y" into some dialogues.
Stunning Enemies too Easy
I updated the stun system, and made it happen (accidentally) every time you attack an enemy. Now it should work as before. Stunning effects are based on the type of weapon used.
Coin and Worm Pickup
Somehow, unlike every other item, coins and worms would only be picked up if you were facing them.
Digging Slopes
The player was somehow able to dig holes in a sloped area, but since they cannot be passed over, there was no way to pick up the stuff that was dug up.
Game Demo Updated to Version 0.4.7
Realms Deep 2023
Islands of the Caliph is slotted to be featured at Realms Deep on September 30th, with a special announcement and new trailer! Don't miss this exclusive event hosted by 3D Realms, New Blood, In the Keep and other cool names!
What's New?
I am mainly finalizing the content of the full game, but in this update quite a bit has changed in the demo as well.
Venom:
I think the biggest gameplay change is with venom. If you are attacked by a venomous enemy, you will still receive damage like before, however now that damage will stop after a while. The damage you take from venom is different than regular, physical damage, so it will permanently lower your maximum health until you find the right antidote. This last bit has not actually changed in terms of the game's mechanics, however a new visual element has been added to show this health drain as seen in this screenshot...
I hope this serves to make fighting venomous enemies somewhat less tedious, while keeping some of the intended tension.
Blocking Venom:
Related but different, I had always intended for venom to only effect the player if they failed to block an attack. However, after reviewing my script, it turned out that only blocking with a shield would prevent the player from getting envenomed. Now any kind of successful block will prevent this. There is still only a chance of getting envenomed even if you are hit. And this chance can be reduced further by increasing your stamina, and through fasting in Ramadan, once you reach that point in the story.
Bow and Arrow:
This will most likely not appear in the demo, as it is a higher level weapon, but for the beta testers this will be a game changer. A bow and arrow has been added to the game for fighting enemies at a distance. Arrows are limited in quantity so you may find it prudent to save them for the more dangerous adversaries.
Options Menu and More:
A new, in-game, options menu has been added so you no longer have to open the config file to change your preferences.
New music has been added to the game. Some of the prayer timings and moon phases have been updated to be more realistic (though the game does not claim to be scientifically accurate). Some new environmental sounds and effects have been added, like seagulls and splashes when fishing.
Lot's of Bug Fixes:
A lot of players also provided valuable feedback, and many bugs were tracked down and fixed.
Torches burned out while the game was paused
Missing geometry on some levels
Item name would revert to "club" when unequipped
It was possible to lose the money spent on a boat ticket if you exited the dialogue prematurely
Some quest characters remained incorrectly active after the quest was completed
Some footstep sound effects were wrong on certain surfaces
Fasting would start outside of Ramadan
and more...
Game Demo Updated to Version 0.4.6
I am making a lot of progress on the game. Only some of that will be noticeable in the demo as much of it has to do with the later gameplay. However, a recent fix seems important enough to mention here.
Enemy Attacks
Previously it was possible for enemies to attack you diagonally, while the player could only attack at right angles. I wanted this feature to work, but pretty much everyone who noticed it assumed it was a bug and felt it was unfair. Well I am listening, and I get it. It does seem unfair, so I have changed it.
In the above images if you faced two scorpions like this, both could attack you. Now the scorpion on the left will attempt to move forward to be directly to your left, and then attack you.
Game Demo Updated to Version 0.4.2
The Demo has been updated to version 0.4.2
Blocking Issue
I have found a terrible mistake with regard to blocking. It seems that blocking only prevented the player from getting poisoned if they had a shield equipped. This contradicted what was written about blocking in the game and the manual, and I have corrected the issue in this update.
You still have to time your blocks and attacks carefully. Blocking with just a weapon is not as effective as when you have a shield, and even with a shield you may still take some damage, depending on who you are fighting and the quality of your shield. But if you successfully block an attack with any weapon or shield, it should prevent getting poisoned.
Torches
There was a bug which caused torches to burn much faster depending on the frame rate of the game. So some players may not have experienced this, but others did if they had slower computers. To resolve this I have locked the frame rate at 60fps, and have modified the torch/lantern script to burn slower.
Switches
Switches will now only work if the player is facing them. This should prevent players from accidentally flipping a switch without knowing about it.
Also, I have temporarily taken the demo off the Steam page. If you have it installed, you can still play it. I am planning to make the final push and release the game later this summer. Thanks again for all the feedback!
Game Demo Updated to Version 0.4.1
The Demo has been updated to version 0.4.1
Manual Update
I have updated the manual and it is now a PDF file with table of contents and helpful images. I hope it is more useful to players. There are still some important gameplay features that have not been added yet, but I will get around to these things soon.
Other Stuff
To prevent new players from sailing directly to the dangerous Isle of Tarbiyyah right after the first quest, I have increased the cost of sailing there to 12 silver. I hope this encourages players to fully explore and exploit the good stuff on Salam Island before heading out there...
Beginning stat points should now add up to a total of 60. They are still randomized, but it should balance out better now. I still plan to update the way stats are gained and upgraded.
Scan Lines are now optional. If you open the Options file you can set the opacity of the scan lines between 100 and 0. 0 will make them totally invisible.
Torch Issue - it was previously possible to sell burnt torches back for the full price of 3 or 4 silver. Now torches will slowly decrease in value as you use them, down to 1 silver for a depleted torch.
Escape will now close any open menus and take you back to the Main Screen (3D View). If you press it while no menus are open, it will take you back to the Main Menu.
Thanks For All the Feedback!
I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who tried the game during Next Fest, and for providing such valuable feedback.
Demo Updated to Version 0.4.0
The demo version 0.4.0 has received a major update! There is a whole new area to explore on the first island, and early game economy has been improved upon.
Due to a lot of player feedback, I finally succumbed to the pressure and have made it a bit easier to get started. A new area I call "The Dark Forest" has been added to Salam Island.
Now new players can experience one of the main early gameplay loops of fighting monsters, gathering their parts, and selling them in town for silver coins. Previously this was only possible on the Isle of Tarbiyyah (in the Demo) where scorpions dwell. Scorpions, known for their venomous stingers, are rather more dangerous than the large brown spiders on Salam Island, and the complications of arachnid venom made this whole process rather more difficult than intended.
I hope this change helps new players get a handle on things in the early part of the game. The challenges to come are still there, but this should help to ease players into them, rather than dropping them on the player so suddenly.
Islands of the Caliph Livestream
I hope you will join me playing Islands of the Caliph during Steam Next Fest!
I will try to answer any questions about the game during this event, and give an overview of the gameplay mechanics.
One of the big questions I want to answer during Next Fest is whether this game should go to Early Access or not.
Game Demo Updated to Version 0.3.9
The Demo has been updated to version 0.3.9
Manual
A text file with instructions has been uploaded to the game's installation folder. When in-game you may now press F2 to call up the manual. The manual presents a lot of detailed information about how to play Islands of the Caliph, including some hints that may help players who feel like they are stuck.
Other Stuff
A couple small changes have been made to the Isle of Tarbiyyah. The woman who talks about her sister is more direct in describing her sister as a monster-part merchant, since this is an important aspect of the game's early economic opportunities. Also, I included a trainer on the Island so the player may upgrade some of their stats, instead of having to go all the way back to Slam Island to do so.
Islands of the Caliph Livestream
I hope you will join me playing Islands of the Caliph during Steam Next Fest!
I will try to answer any questions about the game during this event, and give an overview of the gameplay mechanics.
One of the big questions I want to answer during Next Fest is whether this game should go to Early Access or not.
Game Demo Updated to Version 0.3.8
The Demo has been updated to version 0.3.8
Stats Update
Okay so instead of randomly being granted a couple points of strength or speed when gaining a level, the character will now get a similar number of "Stat Points." These points can be "spent" at a trainer on the various islands. Each trainer will specialize in a particular stat, so you can gain the stats you want.
Trainers can be found in towns and sometimes in other places...
Stat points are stored up until you use them to raise your stats...
