Vidar
First bug fix of the day!
A last minute change to the saving structure meant that Mac and Linux users this morning couldn't see their save files in the continue screen. They should be there. Note that the game autosaves every night, and the autosaving was working correctly. Vidar just didn't want to show you that ;)
I'm aggressively monitoring bugs and trying to fix the worst of them as fast as I can. Yay Early Access!
- Dean
Vidar is live!
Vidar is now available on Early Access! I'm not panicking, I swear.
To all of you who are newly discovering Vidar, please check out the "Early Access" section on the store page, which explains where I am in development and why I think Early Access is the right call for this game. If you're excited to see the random narrative grow in scope with me over the next few months, I hope you'll consider joining the community.
And please make liberal use of the forums to report any bugs you find!
<3 Dean
Alpha 0.8.0.0
In anticipation of tomorrow morning's Early Access launch, version 0.8.0.0 of Vidar is now live!
Alpha 0.8.0.0
<*> Denoised the voice over files
<*> Fixed a bug where the wrong gender voice over file might play
<*> Music will now fade when all voice over plays
<*> Fixed various typos
<*> Fixed various passage issues
<*> The Save menu will correctly show you save files created if you "exit to title" without fully exiting the game
Hotfix 0.7.6.9
After Early Acess launch, we'll be focused on backwards compatibility and retroactively fixing bugs!
- Dean
Alpha 0.7.6.9
- Save files created in version 0.7.6.6 or earlier can once again be loaded in later versions of the game
Alpha 0.7.6.8
We're a week out from Early Access, and I wanted to test two new changes out, so a short patch went out tonight.
First, a town map is available! The map can be opened from the menu screen, and shows a full map of Vidar. Icons for each of the townsfolk are drawn on the map to indicate where that person is. It's part of a 3-part solution to those who are having trouble finding their way or their quest giver in town. The other two parts will be released after 1/31. You can get the map from Dani, assuming she doesn't die.
Second, the cap on save files has been lifted! You can now have as many save files as you'd like, and the continue screen should feel more adaptable and flexible as well.
We're still crunching bugs as fast as we can over here. One more week left! In the meantime, if you've had some experience with the game, please consider drafting a review! While you can't post it now, we'd love your feedback on our store page the very first day we launch next week.
Also, today at noon eastern time, Anna Cail is back streaming more Vidar on Twitch. I'll be hanging out in chat to answer any questions you have - see you at AnnaGeeks.com!
- Dean
Alpha 0.7.6.8
<*> Saving: The cap on save files has been removed; you can now have as many save files as you'd like.
<*> Saving: The "continue" screen will only show save files up to how many you have - so, if you have Story 1, 2, and 3, it won't show blank spots for 4-16. If you have Story 1 and 5, it will continue to show blank spots for 2, 3, and 4.
<*> Saving: When creating a new game, if you have gaps in the order (like the second example above), the new game will slot in there.
Alpha 0.7.6.7
This patch fixes a bunch of miscellaneous bugs that have cropped up. The big improvement this go around relates to Csaba's charity. Previously, giving her key charity items while a quest was pending could cause that quest to stall - she was really only designed to take those items once a critical NPC died, as a way for you to empty your inventory of unnecessary items. But since people clearly want the freedom to improve her disposition and access her other quests regardless, I wanted to make sure that it all works!
To that end, your journal and everyone's dialogue should update appropriately if you give a key quest item to Csaba from here on out.
Additionally, ALL of the music has been remastered by the wonderful Adrian. Revisit your volume settings to find a balance that you like, and grab your favorite pair of headphones to really marinate in some amazing tunes.
The Mac and Linux clients saw updates to the font, and some additional features that were missing like screen flash, depth transparency, and music fading. A memory leak has been fixed that should make the game MUCH more playable on Mac and Linux.
This is probably the last patch before Early Access is launched on 1/31! Early backers and players, please note - you will likely need to start a new game when Early Access comes out, and any save files made before that date will probably have some bugginess. Which sometimes is fun, but be warned ;)
We'll be at Playcrafting NYC's Winter Expo next Thursday. If you're reading these notes but don't have the game yet and want to try it out before 1/31, come visit us at Microsoft on 1/26 to come play the full game.
- Dean
Alpha 0.7.6.7
<*> "Failed Quests" are now "Uncompletable Quests"; the journal font is now gray instead of red
<*> Fixed some reset issues regarding bases in the Ice Cave
<*> Your current location is now identified on the teleport menu
<*> The entrance to the wolf cave has been blocked until you have a specific quest to enter; exit is prevented if Etel or Groa are with you
<*> Key bindings now correctly work on in-game movement
<*> Fixed a Z-layering issues with a tree in Vidar West
<*> Fixed some resets in Ice Cave 4b
<*> Eating mushrooms no longer crashes the game on Steam
<*> The entrance to the Dark Cave is now less likely to spawn in a super weird place
<*> Giving away the pocketwatch will now properly hide the timer display
<*> Fixed some of Rebeka's dialogue
A Little Something
<*> This quest now properly fails if Borbalo dies
Bring Him Home
<*> Failing this quest will properly hide Groa and move Cail
<*> Tamas will no longer get stuck on this quest
Bury the Hatchet
<*> Fixed some typos
<*> Fixed Arpad's movement a bit after the cutscene
<*> The axe is properly removed from inventory now
<*> Added a graphic to update when the axe is placed
Hair of the Dog
<*> Borbalo's scotch no longer spawns if this quest is inaccessible
Love Letter
<*> Removed a spawn point for the mural in the Dark Cave which was blocked by an oil barrel
The Second Son
<*> The cave with Erik will now always close after day 3, regardless of the quest's status
Wake
<*> Fixed Dorottya's dialogue during this event
<*> Fixed the Problem of Two Tomis
War Never Changes
<*> Arpad will not crash the game on reminder
<*> Barnabas now talks to you
<*> Barnabas will now wait less time to open his door
<*> Fixed various cutscene typos
<*> Fixed Arpad's direction in the final cutscene
<*> Various journal fixes
<*> Various pathing fixes in Barnabas's house
Charity
Giving a key item to Csaba for charity will now fail the following quests appropriately, and will not freeze the relevant NPCs in a dialogue loop:
<*> A Brighter Tomorrow
<*> A Little Something
<*> Artifacts in Ice
<*> Bury the Hatchet
<*> Dr. Spore
<*> Faith in the Dead
<*> Hair of the Dog
<*> Light in the Dark
<*> Not a Thief
<*> Residue
<*> Sketched Out
<*> Threnody
<*> To Feed a Village
<*> To House a Village
<*> War Never Changes
<*> Wake
<*> What's Yours is Mine
<*> Words of Wisdom
Mac/Linux
<*> Screen flash support added
<*> Font updates
<*> Fixed a memory leak related to scene changes
<*> Fixed some issues with water depth transparency and fish
Hotfix 0.7.6.6
I'm heading out for the long weekend, but just in case anyone else LetsPlays or streams Vidar before I'm back, I wanted to make sure the latest version was out. This patch is primarily designed to fix a few puzzle options that were spawning without a critical component (and thus were unsolvable). But some user-friendly polish made it in as well.
We'll likely have 2 more patches before Early Access launch on 1/31 - make sure to tell ALL of your friends about Vidar!
Hotfix 0.7.6.6
<*> Robert will no longer inherit Dr. Spore unless you first receive it from Gusztav
<*> Fixed some ghost texts
<*> The timer will now hide when the dialogue window is open
<*> Added a little path to the castle ruins
<*> Fixed the teleport location for Ice Cave 4a
<*> Added a placeholder sound effect for lighting torches
<*> Fixed the transfer between the Ice Cave Waypoint and the town
<*> Resetting a pillar will also properly now destroy its particle effects
<*> Gusztav's dialogue when giving you Dr. Spore has now been updated, in case a patient (or two) dies before you receive it
<*> Etel's voice sfx has been added for his time spent in the Wolf Cave
<*> Fixed a passage issue near the castle ruins
<*> Using the shovel in a place where it can't be used will now pop up a text letting you know that it's not your fault, it's mine
<*> If you have the flint & steel, torches will alert you to the fact that the flint & steel won't work on them
<*> Fixed a few options in Puzzle 3 where a block was not spawning correctly; slightly modified Ice Cave 2b
Hotfix 0.7.6.5
Alpha 0.7.6.5
- Fixed the transition between the Dark Cave Waypoint and the cave proper
- Borbalo will grieve Bernadett
- Adjusted the flow of what happens if Sandor's death interrupts "Faith in the Dead" at various parts
- Added voice acting for returning "The Second Son"
- Dorottya doesn't get bored in the middle of returning "The Second Son"
- Adjusted the entrance to the Ice Cave Waypoint slightly to avoid some weird graphics nonsense
- Added signs outside of the inn, seamstress, merchant's house, and hospital
- Fixed disabled text transparency
- Removed a crashy cave in Ice Cave 2b
- Ice Cave 1b now has a path back to the earlier grave
Hotfix 0.7.6.4
A rare-ish bug has been discovered where, under the right circumstances, you can try Erik's puzzle again after the first attempt. And it causes the whole game to crash. Of course, every single press outlet has found it immediately ːralphhurtː This patch is to address that, and a few other fixes from the HyperRPG stream this past Monday!
Alpha 0.7.6.4
- You can now pull a pillar when someone else is in your party
- Added a block in Ice Cave 3c so that you can go back to the entrance if you'd like
- You can no longer walk over the holes in the Dark Cave Waypoint
- Holes in the Ice Cave area will prevent you from walking on them unless they abut ice. This is to prevent falling off the edges in the ice cave if there's no real puzzle around you
- You can no longer walk over the rope coil in Vidar East; it provides text when you interact with it
- Message box readibility has been improved
- The tool and timer UI will now hide whenever someone is talking
- Spoilery-fixes to puzzle 72 and 75
- Fixed the reset in IC4b that would cause you to disappear once you activated the bridge (sorry Malika!)
- Using statues in the Ruins no longer stops screenshake
- Fixed a slight drawing issue in Puzzle 76
- The end of an era: you cannot complete Erik's cave if he isn't on the correct tile
- Finishing Erik's puzzle (whether successfully or not) will still clear the entrance before you report back to Sandor, regardless of room choice or puzzle layout
I also wanted to note that some people are having trouble with controls because the analogue stick can feel a little rough. I agree! Vidar has always been envisioned as a SNES-style game, and with a 4-directional grid, it's not always clear what "diagonal" on a stick should be. That's why I like the D-Pad. It has 4 directions, plus, it brings back all the nostalgia of the old games! If you're playing with a controller and finding the Stranger going places you didn't want him or her to, try switching to the D-Pad and let me know if it feels any better?
- Dean
Hotfix 0.7.6.3 AND HYPERRPG!
Today (Jan 9) at 1:00 pm Eastern, join me with Hyper RPG on Twitch as they play the latest build of Vidar! It's at twitch.tv/hyperrpg - hope I'll see you there!
Speaking of the latest build, a number of people have rightly noted that the mechanic in Erik's cave isn't really well explained. This patch is intended to address that by changing the UI to make it clearer *and* more responsive. A few other bugs are addressed as well!
- Dean
Alpha 0.7.6.3
<*> Unplugging a controller will immediately reset the game back to keyboard mode; plugging a controller in will immediately switch to controller mode
<*> Pushing any button on the keyboard will automatically switch you to keyboard mode; pushing any button on a controller will automatically switch you to controller mode
<*> For that reason, the profile switcher has been removed from the options menu
<*> If you leave a room and then come back to the same room immediately from the teleport menu, you will no longer lose the timer UI
<*> Using the lantern when you don't have enough fuel will no longer freeze you in place
<*> Resetting in the Dark Cave will refuel your lantern