Final final final version of chapter 0 out!

1 year ago today I released the first version of this game.  So what's happened in the past year?  Overhauled some janky code, added a mini game, added some QoL features, added a buncha new music (thanks Aeroprism!).  I made some progress on the next chapter, but... it's gonna be a while.  Honestly I'm a little disappointed in the lack of progress I made, but hey ya win some, ya lose some.  (Also, had a new baby.)

The only future versions I'd release for chapter 0 would be for bug fixes and additional Aeroprism music (currently ~half of the songs have an Aeroprism version).

Also, my apologies, because I overhauled a bunch of code, save files from previous versions won't work with this version.  When I release chapter 1, I plan on making a "perfect" save file available for download (so nobody has to replay chapter 0).

Full changelog below.

1. New minigame! Pechy Dash

• Unlock new skins and skills for Pech!
  • Though “equipping” a skin is strictly cosmetic, unlocking them gives bonuses to stats
• Controls: up/down to go up/down, left/right to switch sides of inner branch, tap cancel for a hop, hold cancel for a jump
• Pech tells you how to access it (as long as you TALK where he tells you to)
• 2 versions. Make sure you return after major game events so you can get all the skins and skills

2. Not actually in game, but… guide update!

• “Perfect” chapter 0 save file requirements
• Levels required for different combos
• Who in what order does what (being targeted probabilities)
• Macro targeting use/info/benefits
• NG+ info

3. New features/content

• While making a macro, for single target attacks/items/techs/skills, select preferred target (e.g., if you have Zemi use Wat, you can have her attack the opponent in slot 1/highest HP/weak to element/most damaged/etc.)
• Totally new music, remixes of familiar songs (shout out to Aeroprism, though Incompetech’s works are available through settings)
• More text when searching stuff (e.g., mention of Klauva)
• Forest2 TALK/THINK, split up based on if you’re in the bottom left part, or elsewhere
• Swaf mentions larvacs are weak to water, and there’s a bubble around somewhere Zemi can have
• New tech for Cane: lower agi debuff
• New skill for Pech (after a certain plot event)
• 3 new skills for NG+ Zemi
• Skins. Currently pretty much only Pech gets them
• Hit esc to toggle full screen

4. QoL

• Radial menu (which can be set to non-radial through settings)
• Techs and skills populate newest first
• Added uniform tech/skill descriptions
• During intro, hitting confirm or cancel skips DNA Games/Aeroprism logo
• While navigating inventory/tech/skills for macros and healing, get mini descriptions
• While navigating inventory, description appears below
  • No more selecting an item and hitting DESC to see description

5. Audio

• Made intro speed match new intro song
• Chest sound louder
• Dagger shing replaced
• Victory music v2 when you beat a boss (Aeroprism only)

6. Visual

• Added white and red circle flag to inn
• A-T8 attack orange
• Chest art. 2 now, basic and fancy
• Zemi mom art
• Zemi stats art
• Thing in cave art
• Boss art
• Kifkey water shadow fix
• Zemi portrait update
• Pech portrait update
• Pech combat update
• Pech status face colors
• Sige used to display weird at the bottom
• Fade to black when loading, and new game
• Streamlined/combined/changed palette(s)
• Split sprite sheet per person
• Made O.P. bigger
• Pech skins
• Added/changed flowers
• Combatant back art fix
• Panel popup and collapse in x and y (used to just be horizontal)
• Panel content is invisible unless fully open
• Fixed bug where resizing with panels open made the text wonky
• Fixed Forest2/3 not lining up properly (can now see Mr. Winkle from bottom left part of Forest3)
• Redid time/money panel to include difficulty and cheats
• Removed black box top and bottom
  • Expanded a bunch of art to match this ^
• Changed double/triple trees
• Changed tree tops
• Changed bushes

7. Combat

• Mob fade faster
• Mob fade sound
• Weakening and inflicting techs now target mtl rather than mdf (like how weakening and inflicting skills can target vit rather than def)
• Slapped black box between panels when all panels are up (dynamic panels only)
• Goomshroom smack attack fix (it goes whoosh then smack; before was smack then blank, so a miss would be smack whiff)
• Display reduced stat when weakening
• Remove black box top and bottom
  • Expand a bunch of art to match this ^
• Certain boss does special attack for sure on certain rounds

8. Other

• Can no longer try to load end-of-chapter-0 save file
• Made it more clear (though speech) what you have to do after recruiting Cain
• In NG+, if O.P. Zemi is enabled, Bunyan gives knuckles instead of walking stick
• Can’t go back to bench after first wave of F-537s (would be a huge waste of time)
• Separated revive out from under heal
• Changed knuts to gnuts
• Fixed bad text
  • Most egregious offender: phsycail instead of physical
• Characters can now have up to 20 techs
• Characters can now have up to 10 skills

9. Optimization

• Reduced saved/loaded stats (rather than saving/loading all stats, things like str and atk are based off level and equipment)
• Recalculated stats (rather than adding/subtracting permanent stat boosts to base stat per level, set stat equal to base stat per level + permanent stat boost)
• Overhaul of menu coding

10. Bug fixes

• Could initiate move and talking and the same time
• Glitch where you couldn’t get the Ishibo
• If you targeted Self, then used a macro to target an enemy, game would crash (“Self” wasn’t forgotten, so the game would try to fetch stats from the wrong place)
• Game would crash when teleporting back to Kifkey after a certain point
• Ruby slippers didn’t actually add fire resist
• Stat ups not saving/loading properly
• Couldn’t use Chimera Knife/Chest (was supposed to do 3*level organic damage)
• You can no longer sell key items (lulz…)
• Fixed other bugs in the shop (weird things could happen in certain situations if you pressed multiple buttons at the same time)
• Sometimes using tech/skill to heal would fetch the wrong bonus stat value
• Macro revive made the target’s icon wrong
• Macro revive made the target’s text wrong
• Going from inventory to equip could cause game to crash
• Weakens used to do nothing
• Multiple weakens in particular used to really do nothing
• Multiple buffs also did nothing
• Multi-hit screen rumble could trigger on the wrong frame (too late)
• Using Ignite in combat caused game to crash
• Load time/number of battles not displaying properly
• For some players, battle would be all black behind the menus (basically can’t see anything except the menus)
• Erros with Zemi variant using certain skills/items
• Mashing confirm/cancel at certain points in certain menus did weird things (like extra sounds, flashing white)