We have a small update today. We fixed many bugs and worked on optimizations (as usual).
Among other things, we fixes the treasure hunt maps that didn't appear in the menu. However, you will need to either find one of these or start a new game for them to work. If you don't want to do that, here is a link to the maps.
Plus, we added a graphics option : Render Sampling. In short, this option allows you to raise or reduce 3D rendering resolution. Reducing it below 1 reduces quality but increases performance. Above 1, we can compare it to a powerful antialiasing. At the high cost regarding performances, the game looks way better.
What's next...
We are working on revamping the interactors and "combine" menus. Here's a glimpse of what it will look like (work in progress):
There would be no "combine" menu anymore, which makes things clearer for players.
That's it! We will try to send updates weekly like we did before. Rest assured that I will keep you in the loop if we can't ;)
Cheers!
What's going on with updates?
Hey everyone!
You must be wondering what is going on with updates lately, right? Well, the General Store's parking lot is full, so...
Joking aside, the last build we tested broke some of our old save files. We don't mind that much for our save files, but we care about yours, so we will send an update once we fix this issue.
We'll keep you in the loop!
Cheers!
Time to Talk About the Game Release
Hi all!
It’s been a while since I (Alex) wrote directly to you guys. Since my brother and colleague took the whole PR and community management flag, I focused on the game production (which is a good thing), but today we have a rather important announcement: we are going to push the game release to a TBA date around August/September.
Why?
The quick answer to this is: Kona is our first game and we don’t want to screw it up, hence the need to work on it a bit longer than expected.
TL;DR: Exposing our game here on Early Access was the best way we could find to gather feedback and fix issues efficiently. We could respect our commitment and ship Kona on the market in May, but the thing is, we got some really interesting and valid feedback/suggestions that we would really like to address. Plus, as you can see on the banner image, we went to PAX East in Boston last week. It was really nice and people really enjoyed the game. However, we felt that some areas would benefit from some adjustments. The bottom line is: we concluded that the best thing for our community and the project is to inject all the profits from Early Access, plus some contract work money, into making the game better.
What are you going to do with the additional time?
Since I do not want to write (and have you read) a novel about it, here are the major elements we are going to work on this summer:
Improve English texts and narration;
Improve the game performance;
Rebrand the game (new logo, banners, UI, etc.);
Make the UI more clear (especially the “combine” feature);
Improve wolves AI;
Adding Italian, Spanish, German and Russian translations;
+ Surprises!
Here’s a preview of our starting point for rebranding (don’t tell anyone):
Note that we will be trying several approaches, so that could definitely change in the future.
What should we expect to see in upcoming updates?
Kona is an adventure game. Unlocking more story-related areas would mean spoiling (more of) the game. Most of the changes we’ll introduce will be about how the player interacts with things in the game world. For the other 2/3 of the game, we want to keep it for the final release as you will appreciate it even more at that point.
We also plan to introduce a special community area in the game. We are still discussing about what it should be (could be a house, room, or else), and we’ll soon make an announcement on this. The area will show off things made by you guys. It could be one line of text per user or some drawings. The goal is to have a hidden easter egg “credits” area. We want that place to be special and community-driven.
More on that later!
Conclusion
Pushing the game back (again) is not an easy decision (we’d rather spend the summer enjoying the sun than working with snow), but a necessary one. We want all of you guys to enjoy Kona in its highest-quality form. We hope you all understand our position. Thank you all for all the good comments (and even for the bad ones :P) in the forums, the lengthy and helpful reviews, the beautiful screenshots in the gallery and for being simply awesome!
As always, you can reach us anytime on Steam, GOG, social networks and at contact@parabole.ca.
Cheers!
Alex
Kona Weekly Update: Optimizations
Hey there,
Today's update will feature many bug fixes and a significant framerate optimization. You may stumble upon some detail pop-in, but those should be smoothed out in the near future. We designed everything to get the best compromise between quality and performance at a level of detail setting of 3, and the new graphics quality presets start from there.
Other important stuff we added:
A wild river appeared!
Adjustements to the stress mechanic
And those known issues remain:
Big "hangs" in loading scenes
You may need to start a new game to access all journal features
Enjoy! Thanks again for all the feedback!
Kona Weekly Update: Stress Mechanic (WIP) and Mac Fix
Hey everyone,
Today's update will feature many bug fixes. Hopefully, it will fix the issue some of you encountered this week. We can't pinpoint what it is exactly with the information we have, so if you encounter a similar issue, please send us the log file at support@parabole.ca. You can find the file here:
We introduce the stress mechanic (still work in progress). Keep your cigarettes close!
Some Mac users encountered performance issue. We tested today's build and it run way smoother. Hopefully, you will get the same result ;)
And known issues remain:
Big "hangs" in loading scenes
You may need to start a new game to access all journal features
Finally, we tested a build for Windows 32-bit and it worked fine, so we will release it on Steam. It has been tested on a 64-bit processor though, so if it doesn't work, don't hesitate to get a refund from Steam :P
That's it! Thanks again for all the feedback in the forums, you're awesome!
Cheers!
Kona Weekly Update: Journal Content and Small Changes
Hey everyone!
Time for business, here’s what’s up with today’s update!
As always, we fixed many bugs and worked on optimizing performances. Plus, a few things:
Added more locations and characters to the journal. However, it might not work on certain old saves;
Added a few burrows with talismans in them;
Firestarters now have a weight and can be dropped;
You now have a first-aid kit and a firestarter in the pickup trunk at the beginning;
Added a few firestarters and matches to find in houses;
You now keep the wired magnet after using it;
Some “combines” now feature a glimpse of what they’ll look like once they are done (image).
Known Issues/WIP
Big "hangs" in loading scenes, working on it
You might need to start a new game to access all journal features
So that’s it for now! As always, contact us if there’s anything, we read everything you post. ;)
Cheers!
French Voices by Guy Nadon, Humble Store Release and More
Hey everyone!
Good news! The original French voices are available in the game today! Our voice actor is Quebec actor Guy Nadon.
For more than 40 years, Mr Nadon was part of more than 50 plays et took many roles in Quebecois TV series. He also dubbed Morgan Freeman and Dustin Hoffman in their films for the French versions in Quebec. He also has some experience in the video game industry (he voiced in 3 installments of the Assassin’s Creed series).
Along with details on the update, we’ll elaborate on the gradual integration of French VOs, the Humble Store release and a change of translator for the English version.
Missing Parts
About 60% of the French VOs are available in the Early Access version. Some content has yet to be recorder, but it’s a good start!
Kona on the Humble Store
In the next few hours, Kona will be available on the Humble Store. Buying our game there will give you a Steam key. The good thing is that 10% of what you pay (same US price than buying on Steam) will go to charity, which is pretty great!
Change of Translator for English Version
We will soon have a new translator for the English version of the game. In the mean time, for the next 1-2 weeks, some translations will be homemade. We’ll do our best, but they might seem rough a little. Don’t panic, the good ones are on the way!
What Else to Expect in this Update?
Along with what’s listed below, a few locations will be added to the journal.
You need only one log now to start a fire, but they are a bit more heavy;
You can fill empty bottles with water. When Carl drinks it, his stress bar replenishes;
We added a treasure hunt (the reward will be better in the future);
Three houses now have mail in their mailboxes;
There’s now a ladder at the General Store;
Some pages were added in the “Locations” section;
Many bug fixes and optimizations.
As always, write us in the forums if you have comments/suggestions, we read everything ;)
Have a nice weekend!
Kona | March 24th Update | Mac & Linux
Hi everyone :)
Today, Mac and Linux players can plunge into the mystery of Manastan via Steam Early Access. Kona is available now across Windows, Mac, and Linux at 33% off (while it is not displayed as 33% off, the final game will be USD$13.99. Steam does not allow discount tag for more than 7 days on Early Access titles :( )
Please note that since we only have two machines to test on, there might be some issues at first, but we promise to fix them asap :)
(Also note that the Steam UI sometimes does not show Mac and Linux icons next to the game "add to cart" yet on non-english Steam pages)
Mac and Linux Requirements
- Please take a look at the full requirements on the game page
- Mac: We recommend playing on 2013 Macbook Pro, iMac and Mac Pro and newer models
- Mac: Since most Mac don't have powerful GPU, we recommend playing on low settings
- Linux: The same requirements as the PC version apply to Linux machines.
Known Issues
- The game may not auto-select discrete GPU on laptops. For more details; read this thread - There are several hangs on scene streaming, we’re working on it;
- On Mac and Linux, the initial loading can be very, very long. We are working on it.
Performance & Compatibility
- Kona is now on Mac and Linux!
- Steam Controller is now fully supported;
- Added an option to remove window transparency (shader quality setting);
- Made several changes to occlusion culling; should improve frame rate on low settings;
- We added support for various screen resolutions.
Gameplay & Balancing
- Now possible to walk on non-deep water. However, don’t do it if you don’t want Carl to freeze to death;
- Added an option to turn off tooltips;
- Made on-screen feedback a bit more aggressive when the character’s temperature decreases;
- Temperature bar is now displayed when it’s filling up.
Fixed Bugs
- Fixed some animation glitches while manipulating objects and driving.
- Cutting locks no longer equips the map afterward
- Changed some Steam Controller settings on Steam store so it auto-select the right layout on game boot
- Fixes various collision bugs
Upcoming
- We are playing with a texture streaming tech that should make the game run much smoother and noticeably reduce loading times.
- We are working on a big area that we plan to unlock in April.
- More translations & French voice overs.
- Many more bug fixes
Again, if you have any suggestion, concern or question about the game, feel free to discuss here or in the forums!
Cheers guys and thank you for joining us on Early Access!
- Everyone at Parabole
Kona | Small Updates March 21st and 22nd
Hey everyone,
About the 2 small updates in the last two days, here's what it's all about.
Ultra Wide Screen now works
Recurring "eye notification" fixed
Texture quality option now works
Thanks for the feedback and support everyone, you're awesome!
Cheers!
Il y a eu 2 petites mises-à-jour hier et aujourd'hui, voici ce qui a été fait:
Les résolutions ultra wide fonctionnent maintenant
La notification de l'oeil qui apparaît tout le temps est corrigée
L'option de qualité des textures fonctionne maintenant
Merci beaucoup pour vos commentaires et suggestions, vous êtes les meilleurs(es)!
À plus!
Kona | March 18th Update (Minor)
Hi all :)
A new minor update has been uploaded to Steam and should soon be available for everyone.
Here are the release notes:
Additions
Inventory: Added the ability to deposit and withdraw items from the pickup truck trunk.
Display: Added ultra wide screens support
Display: Added 4:3 screens support (still, we do not recommend playing in 4:3)
Audio: Surround is now supported, but you should change the settings in the main menu, not in game.
Audio: Added an option to reduce the frequency of voice overs. Mostly for streamers or people who prefer silence in general.
Adjustments
We removed some useless voice overs.
We moved some voice overs from "playing on trigger" to "playing on interaction"
We changed the behavior of wolves so they do not "freeze" for 10 seconds, but they are still WIP
We changed the two visions in order to make them clearer.
We reduced the time it takes to freeze as it was too long.
Bug fixes
<*> The reader (F on keyboard, X on controller) would not refresh its position from one letter to another. It now does.
<*> Fixed an issue with tooltips not showing up.
<*> Fixed an issue with the temperature bar not showing up.
<*> Fixed some other smaller issues.
ZE FUTURE
We started working on Mac and Linux port. We should announce next week when we plan to release both versions. It should be soon enough :)
We are also working on a big update scheduled for the beginning of April. More on that later!
If there is anything you would like to see in forthcoming updates, feel free to write suggestions in the forums. We read them all :D
