This minor update is full of more improvements, bug fixes and other stuff that helps to prepare for an upcoming major update.
The major update that is coming soon will feature a new boss, a charged sword attack, a sword parry ability, shirt armor, drones which help find 100% items and a ring which makes enemies more difficult but increases your final score.
While these things are being refined and finalized, you can try them all out in the beta version. Just switch to the beta and give it a shot. Instructions on how to switch to the beta version here.
Here's a list of what else is new, improved and fixed in the latest non-beta version:
-=: Version 1.0.4 - Control - 2017.11.19 :=-
[NEW] There is now a warning before buying Kilobombs
[NEW] Stepping on secret sky blocks makes a sound
[NEW] Added a few more meditation success sounds for variety
[NEW] The escape key can now be used to end the controller binding interface
[+++] Roq faces south if starting at a defeated dungeon entrance
[+++] Added a story element to hint at how to beat Radruiel in the tower
[+++] New art makes it more clear the current map location
[+++] Ripples no longer appear on top of each other to reduce clutter
[+++] Fear Midge enemies have more contrast and do not emit blood to be more readable against the background
[+++] Drobth2 enemies are slightly bigger and have more distinct colors
[+++] Mountains in sandy overworld areas have slightly more contrast
[FIX] Fixed Virlocke opening eye before all spawn have been released
[FIX] Fixed the Bard getting confused sometimes
[FIX] Fixed slow down glitch when fighting Eiael (the wall boss) with Smith
[FIX] The manual "disableXInput 1" setting can be used to disable usage of XInput on Windows
[FIX] Axis value threshold can be set manually per controller (example: "threshold 0.5")
[FIX] Fixed buttons getting stuck down in some circumstances
[FIX] Fixed list of passive items overflowing
Minor Update v1.0.3
This minor update is full of slight improvements, bug fixes and other stuff that helps to prepare for an upcoming major update. The major update that is coming soon will feature a charged sword attack ability, a sword parry ability, shirt armor, a new boss and more.
With this update you can maintain your blink momentum after transitioning to a new area. Also the Top Hat bounces more accurately, which really helps for combat in close quarters. Roq also is smart enough to keep his sword unsheathed across some transitions to add a little more speed to runs.
Here's a list of what else is new, improved and fixed in the latest version:
-=: Version 1.0.3 :=-
[NEW] Roq can keep his sword unsheathed while celebrating a new item
[NEW] After using stairs, Roq will unsheath the Nanosword automatically if it was previously unsheathed
[+++] The Top Hat bounces more accurately, allowing more precise combat in cramped quarters
[+++] Roq is only damaged by his own bombs if standing too close to them
[+++] Blink combo momentum is able to be kept through the transition to a new area
[+++] The art for all dead enemies has less contrast to keep the screen from getting busy
[+++] Blood and burn marks fade out completely after awhile to keep the screen from getting too crowded
[+++] There are less hopping insects on the overworld to make the art less busy
[+++] The map colors have been adjusted for a little more contrast
[+++] The Survivor achievement now triggers the instant a boss dies so that it is obtained more often
[+++] The Wizard achievement is double-checked whenever viewing the Achievements menu
[+++] The DroidBat is no longer able to fly off the edge of the current area very far
[+++] Expanded the hit box of Zurrubs (burrowing overworld enemy) to be more accurate
[+++] Refined the mixing and mastering of the theme song
[FIX] Fixed a startup crash on Linux due to missing libcurl-gnutls
[FIX] Fixed a situation where controllers would not be recognized
[FIX] Fixed Jib getting stuck looking to the left or right forever
[FIX] Fixed not being able to re-enter the first swordless dungeon after completing it or teleporting away
[FIX] Fixed battle zoom hiding the action on the east and west edges of the current area
[FIX] Fixed a situation where swinging the sword during a Tower boss battle would trigger the elevator
[FIX] Fixed a one-frame glitch in Roq's artwork walking downstairs
[FIX] Fixed a visual glitch in Roq's artwork for picking up the sword
[FIX] Fixed leaderboard entries sometimes being in the wrong ranking order
[FIX] Fixed glitch in cave door light animation on Windows
That's all for now,
Nathanael
Trading Cards Update v1.0.2
Songbringer trading cards are here. There are now 5 regular profile badges, 1 foil badge, 8 trading cards, 5 profile backgrounds and 5 emoticons. The drop rate is currently set to 1 card per hour of play time. You can combine the cards to make badges, earn the backgrounds and earn the emoticons.
A new feature in this update is courage skeletons. When Roq dies in a regular, non-boss, non-switch dungeon room a courage skeleton is left behind. On returning to that room and dying again, the skeleton releases a burst of courage, refilling 3 teeth in the nick of time. Just enough to get out of a tight spot or push through a particularly difficult room. Since Songbringer is such a permissive game, one can end up in difficult rooms beyond one's current capabilities and strength. These Courage Skeletons are a way to keep the game just as permissive, yet help out for anyone who is persisting in an attempt to clear a certain room.
Ghost Hat
In swordless runs and swordless dungeons, the Ghost Sword becomes the Ghost Hat. This allows any crafted elements to still be usable in swordless dungeons and also enables usage of the Ghost Sword's projectile when Roq has not picked up the sword. If Roq has picked up the sword or is playing a regular dungeon, the Ghost Sword functions exactly as it always has.
100% Features
The equipment menu will now show your progress towards 100% map and 100% items as long as either are greater than 25% for the current run. This ought to help out tracking progress towards the 100% achievements.
There's one more hidden feature for anyone going for 100%. Whenever you beat the game, a list of unattained items is printed to Log.txt. It will tell you what items you have not obtained and will hint at their location without giving away the exact position. For anyone that is almost at 100% and wondering why, this feature is for you.
Skip All Dialogue Option
Meant for speed runs, there's now an option in the Input Settings menu to "Skip All Dialogue." This makes the game skip all dialogue and cutscenes automatically. Handy for shaving a few minutes off the run. You can enable or disable this option at any time in the Settings > Input menu and it takes effect immediately.
Here's the complete list of what is new, improved and fixed in version 1.0.2:
[NEW] Steam trading cards, badges, profile backgrounds and emoticons
[NEW] Courage skeletons drop when Roq dies in non-boss, non-boss-switch dungeon rooms
[NEW] Courage skeletons give Roq a 3 tooth boost when reaching zero courage
[NEW] Ghost Sword becomes the Ghost Hat in swordless runs and dungeons so its elements can still be used
[NEW] Map and item percentages are shown on the equipment menu if either is greater than 25%
[NEW] Input settings option to skip all dialogue and cutscenes (meant for speed runs)
[NEW] Fire dungeon music is now procedural
[NEW] Added 16:10 window ratio option
[+++] When losing or gaining courage, the teeth on the HUD are animated
[+++] Diamond quantities in stores flash red if hero doesn't have enough diamonds to purchase
[+++] Water now surrounds acid horns so there is another way to overcome this challenge
[+++] Water glows when meditating or eating a cactus if it contains a hidden item
[+++] Story elements for Jib and Velle can now happen in the same room back to back
[+++] Provide hints to locations of unattained items in Log.txt on beating the game
[+++] Dungeon 1's downstairs key card is shown as a point of interest on the minimap
[+++] Dialogue text is a little closer to white for more contrast and readability
[+++] Hide bomb, cactus, superbomb, and courage refills from store if already at max
[FIX] Fixed not being able to meditate in front of upper-floor tower monoliths
[FIX] Fixed kilobombs causing some secret walls to close
[FIX] Fixed a situation where bombs would not re-equip if acquired and then exhausted since last save
[FIX] Fixed Jib not responding to kilobomb if enemies on screen
[FIX] Fixed overworld area rewarding the same important item after save, quit and resume
[FIX] Fixed open walls sometimes overwriting hidden items (rare situation)
[FIX] Fixed not being able to obtain a hidden item on the overworld (rare situation)
[FIX] Fixed some types of secrets not being revealed by cactus or meditate
[FIX] Fixed some kinds of foes dying when jumping into walls
[FIX] Fixed being able to be crushed by the moving goal room stones
[FIX] Fixed boss roar not playing for Radruiel in some worlds
[FIX] Fixed a rare crash on Windows
[FIX] Fixed a crash on Linux in bomb rooms if using a controller with rumble
[FIX] Fixed Jib swooning endlessly if over a fire
[FIX] Fixed rare issue where the fear dungeon's locked boss door could block a tease room
Cheers,
Nathanael
Combat Precision Update v1.0.1
Thanks for helping to make Songbringer's launch a success. I appreciate all the praise, constructive criticism and feedback you all have sent.
Some free updates are planned for Songbringer which will feature new items and abilities. More on this as it develops.
In this update, a focus has been placed on making the combat more precise, accurate and tight. For a detailed look into exactly what has been done, check out this video:
Here's all of what's new, improved and fixed in this update:
-=: Version 1.0.1 :=-
[NEW] New feature: blink momentum - repeated usage of the Blink Orb has a faster and faster cooldown
[NEW] New feature: clutch courage defense - Roq takes less damage when at less than one tooth of courage
[NEW] New story element hints at how to beat Radruiel (the Blob Boss) if he proves difficult
[+++] Roq's sword hitboxes have been adjusted to feel more precise and accurate
[+++] Roq's sword hitboxes are more consistent due to remembering attack direction after letting go
[+++] Sparks from the sword now hit objects in more accurate locations and fly in a more accurate direction
[+++] Roq's sword hitbox last slightly longer so attacks connect more often and timing feels better
[+++] Roq's subsequent sword combos have slightly less and less attack delay
[+++] Roq's tophat aim direction is remembered after letting go of a direction
[+++] Roq slows down a little bit less when swinging the sword while running
[+++] One can revisit any previously locked dungeons after completing the game in order to gain 100% items and/or map
[+++] Viper enemy's rate of attack is now based on the dungeon difficulty instead of being random
[+++] Add black sparks when hitting foes
[+++] Thickets are no longer created around home area if one has the Victor's Emblem
[+++] Minor adjustments to the hitboxes of lightning and ice effects
[+++] Ice dragons can no longer shoot multiple freezing ice balls at once
[+++] Lassaurium (Ice Boss) is slightly less random in her final phase
[+++] Bath Kol (Lightning Boss) no longer heals from lightning-crafted weapons
[FIX] Fixed a situation where the crafting warning would not play when using the Captain's Note
[FIX] Fixed Diamond Sack and Blink Orb not showing the correct upgrade level in stores
[FIX] Up, down, left, right, escape and enter always work in the menu
[FIX] Fixed dialogue remaining on screen after transition
[FIX] Fixed an empty flask re-appearing if you came back with the corresponding full flask
[FIX] Fixed Linux multi-monitor support
[FIX] Fixed foes getting pushed into walls in overly-crowded rooms
[FIX] Game auto-saves after critical story events aboard Songbringer
Cheers,
Nathanael
Release v1.0.0
Welp. Here we are. It's launch day for Songbringer and version 1.0.0 is now released!
There's a stylin' new feature that just got added in this version: hold to aim. When you press and hold the Top Hat button, Roq will go into an aiming stance. Pressing any direction whilst in the aiming stance will queue up that direction for the Top Hat's launch. Letting go of the button will cause Roq to throw it along the compass direction you have queued. Thus you now have more precise control over the Top Hat. It also makes some sweet hat tricks possible, like the backwards Top Hat throw.
Some minor art tweaks have also been made in order to help the game look less busy. Insects are less bright. Ground is more distinct from other elements. A focus on improving the negative space has helped to clarify some of the scenes. This makes the game a little easier to read tactically.
Here's what else is new, improved and fixed in this version.
-=: Version 1.0.0 :=-
[NEW] The tophat button can now be held to aim and launch precisely
[NEW] The acid dungeon's music now has procedural melodies
[NEW] Refined the art for some areas to be less busy and more clear what is figure vs ground
[+++] Sword button will immediately trigger elevators
[+++] The ghost sword is a little more accurate, choosing its direction at the instant of launch vs the instant of button press
[+++] Time portion of overall score is now exponential
[+++] Can hit cliffs, refill pillars and the sides of boss doors
[+++] Equipment menu always shortcuts to items when crafting
[+++] Spirits are not sold in the store until the flask quest is triggered
[+++] Friends on the leaderboard are now displayed with a different color
[FIX] Fixed Barrel of Lutefisk counting towards 100% items
Songbringer will be released in less than two weeks on September 1st.
This version (0.9.Z) will be the last beta update. From 1.0.0 on there will be an opt-in beta version which owners can access in their Steam options. More details on this soon.
Here's what's new.
-=: Beta Version 0.9.Z :=-
[NEW] Fog is now parallaxed
[NEW] Jib makes a few more noises on occasion
[+++] Murmuroth tease cannot be frozen
[+++] Hornerang is now more distinct from other flying things
[+++] Can hit goal containers and the mother tree
[+++] Deep fog added to tower and sea areas
[+++] Refined the levels shader for a little more pop
[+++] Various minor art and music tweaks
[FIX] Fix button and key icons getting stuck as keyboard or controller
[FIX] Fixed minimap key letters being missing when on the current area
[FIX] Fixed an issue where Roq would transition across water in some worlds
Deep Fog
Songbringer has had a private, closed beta in progress since February 2016.
-=: Beta Version 0.9.Y :=-
[NEW] Video option to show achievements
[NEW] Music now plays with area reverb to increase the sense of immersion
[NEW] Intro music blends into intial bike crash home area
[NEW] After-dungeon overworld music themes no longer repeat during the same run
[NEW] Deep fog in the swordless dungeons
[+++] Lighter does more damage if you do not have the sword
[+++] Eiael's rooms are a little darker without lights on the sides
[+++] Kiel's sword parry has a more distinct impact
[+++] Refined the brightness of lightning
[+++] Shades are a little more difficult in the second swordless dungeon
[+++] Secret tunnels and rooms without a visible entrance no longer count toward 100% map
[FIX] Fixed situation that caused the Droidsmith to ignore Jib
[FIX] Fixed the sword still equipped in second swordless dungeon
[FIX] Fixed overworld secret tunnel leading to shop in some worlds
[FIX] Fixed game soft-locking if alt-tabbing away during outro
[FIX] Fixed controller binding interface quitting after binding the B button
[FIX] Fixed Jib's shield knocking back some enemy projectiles
[FIX] Fixed gargoyle's reflection being invisible
[FIX] Fixed reverb not changing when going downstairs
[FIX] Fixed not being able to walk down into secret tunnel in some worlds
[FIX] Fixed slowdown issue when dropping a kilobomb
[FIX] Fixed glitch in fog visuals when walking between rooms
[FIX] Fixed Jib jittering while crafting
[FIX] Fixed music stuttering while fighting double fire boss
[FIX] Fixed a specific bomb container and some scanner drones that appeared in two places
[FIX] Fixed an issue where a spawned item could become unattainable
[FIX] Fixed life container quarters combining into the wrong whole life container
[FIX] Fixed controller or keyboard icons getting stuck as one or the other
Music of the Spheres
Songbringer has had a private, closed beta in progress since February 2016.
-=: Beta Version 0.9.X :=-
[NEW] The little spheres dance with the player and can be played like instruments
[NEW] Can hit the walls, mountains, rocks, statues and other invincible things
[NEW] Entrances, before boss and gate item rooms have unique ambiences
[NEW] Light beam animation makes enemy deaths more noticeable in the periphery
[NEW] Overworld now has clouds
[NEW] Reverb is now used to add atmosphere to the dungeons and caves
[NEW] Panning is used to make it audibly noticeable where a sound is coming from
[NEW] Floatey dungeon music is now procedural
[NEW] Fear dungeon music is now procedural
[NEW] New art for fear dungeon
[+++] Refined the smoke animations
[+++] Refined the sword sparks animation
[+++] Teleporting from dungeons directly to refills is no longer allowed
[+++] A skeleton is guaranteed at each dungeon entrance
[FIX] Fixed unintended auto save when teleporting back to ship
[FIX] Fixed Omnikill achievement not triggering due to Karsh not being tracked
[FIX] Fixed binding L2 and R2 on some controllers being fidgety
[FIX] Fixed ambiences clipping when transitioning between areas
[FIX] Fixed outro accidentally being skipped by wonky controller input
[FIX] Fixed being able to trigger the ending early in a certain room
[FIX] Fixed visual glitch on area transition underneath water on overworld
Surfacing
Songbringer has had a private, closed beta in progress since February 2016.
-=: Beta Version 0.9.W :=-
[NEW] Permadeath mode flashes time elapsed between boss victories during the same run
[NEW] Intro mentions the time period
[NEW] Ekzerra has been renamed Ekzera so that it can be a world seed
[NEW] Tiny Roq and Jib icons display on the equipment menu map to clarify current location
[+++] Roq no longer slides slowly if moving along an edge diagonally
[+++] Roq takes off his hat when crafting it
[+++] Brutus now gives the player a full flask instead of an empty one
[+++] The Spirits quest now has its own icon to be distinct from refilling flasks
[+++] Kilobomb is now visually distinct from its container
[+++] Climbing the Tower now requires blink level 2 so world seed VELLE isn't cheesable
[+++] Metatron's landing damage wave is now timed with the animation for fairness
[+++] Play time now halts when player loses control during ending
[+++] A few Navi-esque story elements no longer play in permadeath mode
[+++] Equipment menu remembers the last selection
[+++] Leaderboards and achievements now scroll more naturally
[+++] Boots shorten the time to transition between areas by 0.1 seconds
[+++] Permadeath choice turns red when selected on main menu
[+++] Backers in the credits are alphabetized
[+++] Cup is automatically unequipped when no longer needed
[+++] There is more friction near the elevator in the ice dungeon so its easier to use
[+++] Overworld theme song is allowed to fade out when entering dungeons in permadeath mode
[FIX] Fixed memory leak due to procedural ground textures not being released
[FIX] Fixed a rare bug where Roq would continue walking after releasing a directional button
[FIX] Fixed the equipment menu not drawing the player's eye to the cursor as intended
[FIX] Fixed play time elapsing too fast near waterfalls
[FIX] Fixed accidentally pathfinding towards stairs when being knocked back
[FIX] Fixed Velle unswooning on the next area
[FIX] Fixed Jib doing a weird pathfinding thing when exiting
[FIX] Fixed the Thief getting stuck on stairs while invisible
[FIX] Fixed a black border on areas being visible during credits
[FIX] Fixed bomb explosions leaving burn marks on the next area
[FIX] Fixed not being able to reach some emitted secret items
[FIX] Fixed an unsolvable puzzle pattern in some worlds
[FIX] Fixed an abrupt change in ground Z heights in puzzle bridge rooms
[FIX] Fixed elevators disappearing when using a cactus if timed just right
[FIX] Fixed chest blocking stairs in some areas of some worlds
[FIX] Fixed Roq getting trapped on the left or right of Eiael and unfairly losing
[FIX] Fixed overworld bridges darkening on area transition
[FIX] Fixed Velle's palm bolt being able to destroy shield pillars
[FIX] Fixed Jib's shield not being able to destroy shield pillars
[FIX] Fixed Murmuroth's tease event repeating if you walk offscreen fast enough
[FIX] Fixed a situation where the story system appeared to soft lock the game
[FIX] Fixed a few story elements triggering wrongly
[FIX] Fixed music restarting when it should be silent
[FIX] Fixed the bard stuck in some worlds
[FIX] Fixed being able to hit the same bush repeatedly and get diamonds
[FIX] Fixed some kinds of hidden walls getting semi-transparent when near them
[FIX] Fixed mooring tiles able to be frozen
[FIX] Fixed Cratues dying with the wrong color
[FIX] Fixed not being able to hold to change volume
[FIX] Fixed non-English credits text alignment
[FIX] Fixed secret paths to some spirit walls in floatey dungeon
[FIX] Fixed lily pads flickering sometimes
V is for Viper
Songbringer has had a private, closed beta in progress since February 2016.
-=: Beta Version 0.9.V :=-
[NEW] New enemy: the Viper
[NEW] Jib's light is brighter in dark places
[NEW] Heroes pathfind to catch up on area transitions
[+++] Glove allows Roq to throw the tophat repeatedly faster
[+++] Chip gives tophat a damage boost if Roq doesn't have the sword
[+++] Cactus courage applies sooner to prevent unfair deaths
[+++] Blinks no longer fail for tiny intersections
[+++] Jib is more selective about when he uses the crafted shield
[+++] Velle stops taking heat damage when Roq gets Shadrach's Tear
[+++] Pressing directly up after loading the equipment menu shortcuts to the map
[+++] Lassaurium's amount of pet dragons is now based on dungeon difficulty
[+++] Murmuroth has a slightly taller hit box so you can damage him by hitting his tail
[+++] Battle meditation invincibility stops after Roq has fully stood up
[+++] Drobth2 now moves to within range to use boomerang attack
[+++] Directional input can be held throughout transitions like upstairs and downstairs
[+++] Roq stops walking slowly when he gets the sword or the tophat
[+++] Getting items, refilling, meditating, crafting, etc. faster in permadeath mode
[+++] Advanced, upward button switches now visually distinct from downward switches
[+++] The save symbol appears when settings changes are applied
[+++] Flasks no longer take up separate item slots on the equipment menu
[+++] Goal containers now start open if item has already been obtained
[+++] There is now a secret stash of item refills in the Tower
[+++] Tiny black blobs no longer create blood so they can been seen easier
[+++] Slightly reduced the cost of bio detectors and scanner drones
[FIX] Fixed locked doors losing their color after opening
[FIX] Store bought cacti, bombs, etc. now refill the correct amount instead of just one
[FIX] Fixed an issue where Velle would swoon repeatedly, then not get back up
[FIX] Fixed Jib moving around wildly, then going invisible during some story elements
[FIX] Fixed Murmuroth healing from his own poison sand
[FIX] Fixed heroes moving up a few pixels instantly after teleport
[FIX] Fixed an issue where home area is not surrounded by thickets in some worlds
[FIX] Fixed inaccessible super secret overworld areas in some worlds
[FIX] Fixed music in sand dungeon elevator rooms being intense even though no foes around
[FIX] Fixed an issue where Viper would keep running towards the sky or get stuck
[FIX] Fixed broken tease rooms in some worlds
[FIX] Fixed Lucid achievement triggering for swordless dungeons
[FIX] Fixed scanner drones still running while paused
[FIX] Fixed an issue where a swordless puzzle would not trigger
[FIX] Fixed spawned items behaving erratically if immediately picked up with the tophat
[FIX] Fixed Velle shooting at Ice Dragons before they appear
[FIX] Fixed an issue where falling ground blocks would not be removed
[FIX] Fixed wacky equipment menu movement when crafting items
[FIX] Fixed slowdown issues related to overly packed mob rooms
[FIX] Fixed Raymeiik's piling on top of each other
[FIX] Fixed door lights appearing in the wrong place in some rooms
[FIX] No longer exceedingly difficult to beat Metatron with Velle + lightning
[FIX] Fixed an issue where you couldn't beat the game if failing after Metatron
[FIX] Fixed: re-walking over the same grass after transition and continually getting diamonds
[FIX] Fixed an incompletable swordless 2 dungeon path
[FIX] Fixed Roq walking on some roofs accidentally
[FIX] Fixed empty screen and game soft lock after resetting achievements
[FIX] Fixed hold to skip cutscene after beating Metatron causes unbeatable game
[FIX] Fixed smoke from opening spirit walls can appear in the wrong place
[FIX] Fixed being able to come to a mooring gate on the overworld with moorings already raised
[FIX] Fixed boss drums stuttering at a certain exact hit point level
[FIX] Fixed Roq not being harmed by touching Virlockes
[FIX] Fixed blinking into a portal causes Roq to do the wrong animation
[FIX] Fixed Drobth Miniboss overwritten by bio-detector story element
