Update: 18/04/2012

Well, after reading several comments from several sources, I've decided to change the To Do list. Here's a new list of things that should be done:

• Fix bug: Loading multiple times.
• Fix bug: Changing doesn't spread as it should on Mouse TF. Check if this happens on other TF's.
• Fix issue: Entering a fight while having 0 HP will get you an error screen. Maybe add an otion to use automatically any healing potions in the inventory if this happens.
• Fix issue: Make the penalty for abusing TF items more drastic. I have already tweaked with the affinity trait so that you can only use a certain amount of TF items before having and end game screen.
• Interface: Make it less flashy and eye-hurting.
• Interface: Make the font more readable.
• Interface: Add progress bar or number.
• Encounters: Change encounters so that you can win something like gold or a healing item, and thus making the risk worth it. Maybe reduce affinity.
• Bigginer's quest: Make a walkthrough quest that introduces you to the world and its dynamics. A substitute of the help menu for the lazy people. You get a reward at the end.
• Include somewhere this: "You'd better taint that pathetic body of yours because being a mutant is better than being dead". (Phrase from Noyb)
• Tempting to change: Make TG transformation a random event.

New Build: 15/04/2012

After almost two busy weeks, I present you the new build. Maybe it's not as big in content as I would have liked, but it certainly looks better, at least for me.

What's new this release:

• New TF: Dog.
• New encounter: Puppies.
• New location: Alex's Tunnel.
• New action: buy humanizer at tavern.
• New enemy: Dragon Slayer.
• Fixed bug: Game threw an error at midnight because of a division by zero error.
• Fixed issue: Changed the font. There shouldn't be any font compatibility problems now. If you don't like the new font, you can change it in the game folder, just be sure it's the same extension and change the name. You can also change the name of the font in the Program.py file, it's one of the top variables.
• Could not reproduce: Multiple loading bug. It only happened to me once in like 50 tries. I'll keep trying to track it down. Any information on this bug will have a reward of a thank you.
  

What's planned for next release, based on the poll:

• New TF: Bee.
• New TF: Pine.
• New main quest: Basic training.
• New side quest: Alex's ingredients.
• New encounter: Angry bees.

Update: 14/04/2012

I know I haven't posted anything in the last two weeks, but I have been quite busy, and it wasn't until recently that I started working on the game again. I think I'll make a new build tomorrow.
The new poll will help me to see in what content I should focus more. I has a grammar mistake regarding the question of the poll, but the system doesn't allow me to change the question now ¬.¬

What's new:

• New TF: Dog
• New location: Alex's Tunnel
• New action: buy humanizer at tavern.
• Fixed bug: Game threw an error at midnight because of a division by zero error.
• Fixed issue: Changed the font. There shouldn't be any font compatibility problems now. If you don't like the new font, you can change it in the game folder, just be sure it's the same extension and change the name. You can also change the name of the font in the Program.py file, it's one of the top variables.

What needs to be done:

• New encounter: Puppies
• New enemy: Dragon Slayer.
• Check loading bug with multiple loads.

Here's a screen with the new font:

Busy week

Well, I know this is not the kind of news you want to hear, but this weeks is going to be very slow for the development of the game. This is thanks to the fact that it's report's week. I have to do a lot of reports about my work, a presentation, and work like crazy to meet the deadline objectives XD
Anyway, this are all issues that take priority over the game development. I'll try to squeeze some time in order to make some progress, mainly in the saving system that seems to hate me a lot.
Bugs that have been reported so far:

• Text on Linux seems to be too small. This is due to some systems not having the Times New Roman font.
• The saving system fails to load a game if there are various slots saved.
• The game doesn't start at 0 hours. This is because of a divide by zero error.

I think thoose are it for now. At least the list is getting shorter, until next build.

New Build: 31/03/2012 (More bugfixes)

Yes, seems that this one is another build to correct bugfixes. Just when I was considering getting the game out of the 'Beta' state. Here are the changes:

What's new this release:

• Fixed bug: Title text overlapped on buttons. Now title adjusts to fit in the space.
• Fixed bug: Game crashed when buying Low Quality Metal Armor. This was due to the name reduction. Tested golden armor, just in case.
• Fixed issue: Made it so that the seed of the random generator would change every time you play. This means it should be more fair when sorting through items. If you don't like how the game is choosing the items, just restart it.
• Fixed issue: Lizard description has been revised.
• Fixed bug: Level up didn't increase HP. This was because it did increase the HP, when it should have increased the MaxHP. Well, now it regenerates your health for free at level up. Enjoy.
• Fixed bug: Saved games didn't Load correctly. Had to change the whole system. It should be working fine now.
• Fixed bug: Changing items didn't change and seemed to be stuck. Happens because the head wasn't "Connected" with the torso. It should work now.
• Fixed bug: No new game was possible when you had a game over. This was because the end game screen got looped over and over again.
• Fixed bug: Items didn't seem to drop. This was because the game didn't recognized certain items with a number and an "x" on them.
• New encounter: White Magician
  

What's planned for next release:

• New TF: Dog.
• New encounter: Puppies.
• New location: Alex's Tunnel.
• New action: buy humanizer at tavern.
• New enemy: Dragon Slayer.

You can now go ahead and find more bugs XD

Update: 27/03/2012

Things that have already been fixed:

• Fixed bug: Title text overlapped on buttons. Now title adjusts to fit in the space.
• Fixed bug: Game crashed when buying Low Quality Metal Armor. This was due to the name reduction. Tested golden armor, just in case.
• Fixed issue: Made it so that the seed of the random generator would change every time you play. 
• This means it should be more fair when sorting through items. If you don't like how the game is choosing the items, just restart it.
• Fixed bug: Lizard description has been revised.
• Fixed bug: Level up didn't increase HP. This was because it did increase the HP, when it should have increased the MaxHP. Well, now it regenerates your health for free at level up. Enjoy.

What needs to be fixed:

• Changing items don't change and seem to be stuck.
• No new game is possible when you had a game over.

What's giving me headaches:

•  Saved games don't load correctly. Seems that not all the attributes of the old player get registered. I'll need to dwell within the confines of new Python Classes and new Object methods to change this... yes, a lot of work.

What's making me happy:

•  We have had our very first submission by Ark Rotarl!
•  The first donation has come through! Weeeeeh! ^.=.^

Things I just want to say:

• With each bug I find, I feel more respect towards programmers that manage to debug, or better yet, write bug-free programs >.=.<

New build: 25/03/2012

More like a bugfix than anything. However, I did manage to add some new content, thanks in part to the help of Ark Rotarl.

What's new this release:

• Mouse transformation and item by Ark Rotarl
• New Shop: External's Shop
• New Item: Golden Armor
• New location: Woods
• Fixed bug: The data screen returned you to the help screen if you clicked on it. This was because of some bad managing on the action tree. 
• Fixed bug: Game crashed when leaving the lake store (thank you new gameHistory system!)
• Fixed bug: See that the HP doesn't raise from 0 to 1 if an enemy defeats you.
• Fixed bug: The changing description of the wings was blank, making an empty test appear when the horse's infection got to it. Filled it with a generic changing description.
• Fixed bug: The overall descriptions weren't triggering properly. Mainly because they weren't included XD. Sorry folks, my fault.
• Fixed bug: Lizardmen should drop lizard oil now.
• New generic overall description, for when I forget to write it XD
• Could not reproduce: "The tail and the centaur-body weren't reversed with a different TF(swan)". Just for the record, the swan TF is made so that it takes away the centaur body, and changes the tail into a feathery tuft.
• Could not reproduce: "Double TF messages of the same part and other TFs and parts that don't change". I spent some time using the TF items like crazy. I didn't see any double descriptions. Maybe it was on an encounter, I haven't checked those yet.
• Balance fix: Changed chances of finding items for it to be equal for all items. Some items need certain level in order for them to be encountered randomly.
• Balance fix: Made the horse transformation item change statistics according to level. The higher the level, the more they change. The most you can get out of this is a +6 on every statistic it changes at level 100.
  

What's planned for next release:

• New TF: Dog.
• New encounter: Puppies.
• New encounter: White Magician.
• New location: Alex's Tunnel.
• New action: buy humanizer at tavern.
• New enemy: Dragon Slayer.
  

New Build: 24/03/2012

The title should clue you in what I'm going to say. For the desperate ones, the download buttons are on the right.

What's new this release:

• New action: Explore farm.
• New enemy: Guardian dog.
• New TF: Horse.
• New location: External's camp.
• New NPC: Mysterious cat.
• New encounter: Enter the farm.
• New Item: Brown Liquid.
• New system: Experience.
• New statistic: Levels.
• Fixed bug: Game crashed if clicked on new game multiple times.
• New ending: general bad TF ending.
• New behavior: The game will inform you of the kind of error that occurred during execution, and then will close automatically after 5 seconds. More details are written in the gameHistory file.

What's planned for next release:

• New TF: Dog
• New encounter: Puppies
• New encounter: White Magician
• New location: Alex's Tunnel
• New Shop: External's Shop
• New Item: Golden Armor
• New action: buy humanizer at tavern.
• New enemy: Dragon Slayer
• New location: Woods

Delay until weekend

Hello everyone.

I have noticed an increase in the traffic of the blog and on the archive in general, but specially on the day I made a new build. This new build seems to be more stable according to the various comments on the TFgames forums. It has some balance issues, but those have already been addressed and will be available in the next build (I didn't say resolved because for that I need you to tell me how you think of the game stats, prices, enemies, etc.).

Now, what everyone dreaded because of the title.  I will indeed have a delay in the next build. I have a lot of work to do in real life, and I'll even have to stay up until late today and tomorrow to get it all done. The only thing I have been able to advance on has been the horse transformation. The text is around 50% done, and the coding is done automatically thanks to a program I made that changes a TF template to Starheaven game code. Is as simple as copy and paste it where it should go. Still, it's around thirty lines of descriptions for every transformation, so it does take time. I also have to write and code the new enemy, and I still haven't made the program to pass from enemy format to Starheaven code format. This one will require more coding, as it's adding a new action to the farm, and inside that action adding the appropiate filters and the enemies. Sigh, seems a lot of work, but I will be on it in the weekend.

So, having nothing else to say for the moment, and a ton of work, I bid you all farewell and good night.

Update 19/03/2012

Well, seems that the last two days the blog has received 37% of its total pageviews since being opened, with a total of 1891 since the time of post of this. We have also received the first comments, which were of faults in the game. Thanks to pointing those out. I planned to make an emergency build to balance the level system, butit took me almost all the day to implement and correct. So, there will be no emergency build, but on the other hand I don't think it will take a lot to make the next build.

Here's what's done so far:

• New system: Experience. From now on, whenever you defeat an enemy, you'll gain experience. Win enough experience, and you'll level up.
• New statistic: Levels. You now start at level 1 and will be increasing as you play along. This will helps you to unlock certain enemies and certain events.
• Fixed bug: Game crashed if clicked on new game multiple times.
• New ending: general bad TF ending.
• New behavior: The game will inform you of the kind of error that occurred during execution, and then will close automatically after 5 seconds. More details are written in the gameHistory file.

What's half finished:

• New TF: Horse.

What need to be done before next build:

• New action: Explore farm.
• New enemy: Guardian dog.
• New location: External's camp.
• New NPC: Mysterious kitten.
• New encounter: Enter the farm. 

New Build: 0_0_7

Should I say more?

Complete Changelog:

• New location: Outskirts of farm.
• New TF item: Lizard oil.
• New template: Enemy Template.
• New enemy: Lizardman.
• New enemy: Dark magician.
• New store: Tree Stump Shop.
• New Item: Medium healing potion.
• New Item: Low quality sword.
• New Item: Medium quality sword.
• New encounter: Beautiful Swan.
• New situation: Kiss the prince(ss)
• New NPC: Dark figure.
• Bug fixed: Fixed a bug that made it possible for people to buy items for "free", and have negative money. I honestly don't know if I put it there to start with XD
• Added a game history text file. This should make it easier to track down bugs and faults in the game.

Coming up next:

• New action: Explore farm.
• New enemy: Guardian dog.
• New TF: Horse.
• New location: External's camp.
• New NPC: Mysterious kitten.
• New encounter: Enter the farm.

Also, because of the post results and other issues, I'm starting to believe I will make a new build every week. What do you think?

Update 14/03/2012

What was done:

• New enemy: Dark magician. (has a spoiler for next builds)
• New encounter: Kiss the prince(ss)

To do for next build:

• New store: Tree Stump Shop.
• New NPC: Dark figure.

Also, has anyone had any problems running the game in Ubuntu or Linux in general?

Update and new poll

Ok, the usual changes and a new to do list.

Completed:

• New enemy: Lizardman.
• New encounter: Beautiful Swan.

To do:

• New enemy: Dark magician.
• New store: Tree Stump Shop.
• New encounter: Kiss the prince(ss)
• New NPC: Dark figure.

And I have been having a question lately. Do you guys like that I have a To Do list and I build the game until the list is complete, or would you rather like a new build with every update?

That takes me to the poll, how frequently would you like the game to be updated?

Going to bed now. The day was really tiring, and have to get up early tomorrow.

Update 10/03/2012

Ok, here comes what I have been doing in this day.

Website and Blog.

What was done:

• I started, and finished the archive website. You can visit it here: https://sites.google.com/site/straheavengamearchive/
• I moved the current builds of the game in there.
• Added a Lore section.
• Pasted most of the content that was here XD.

What needs to be done:

• Add the templates.
• Erase previous links.
• Find a way to post on TFGames that the links will disappear.

Game

What was done:

• Added a game history text file. This should make it easier to track down bugs and faults in the game.
• New location: Outskirts of farm.
• New TF item: Lizard oil.

What needs to be done:

•  Add a new enemy: Lizardman.
• Add a new enemy: Dark magician.
• Add a new store: Tree Stump Shop.
• Add a new NPC: Dark figure.

*On a side note: It's Mother's Day somewhere around the world, so remember to congratulate them.

First gear

Well, as thetitle should imply, it has been a very slow drive since I posted the bug-fix version of the game. I have been really busy with real life lately, so I haven't gotten around enough to actually code or write any new content.

On another note, I have had one problem with TFGames, not big or anything. It's just that I can't see their site on my computer. I have two different internet browsers and neither of them seems to be able to log into the site. I can do it from my celphone, but it's very slow and uncomfortable. One of the reasons I created this blog was in case something like this happened, that I couldn't get into the post of TFGames. I have sent an email to them, asking if this might have to do with the server of the site, but have received no answer so far.

Which takes me to point number two, a Starheaven website. Yes, I know a blog is cool and everything, and I can probably fit everything here. However, I would like a space that could be more... how to put it... personal? To have that feeling. I would like a site similar to a wiki that could be able to host the most recent version of the game, and get some other information too, like a list of monsters, myths, legends of Starheaven, etc.

It would be nice to stop seeing all the lines of codes and just focus on the escence, on the world, every once in a while. Anyway, I'll see into it if I can make it with google or if I should do it like a wiki.
This post is mainly to sort my ideas out, get people updated to the status of the game (they deserve it), and invite everyone to add their comments.

New build: Beta 0.0.6

That's right, a new build is up.
Changelog:

• Made a confirmation of purchase screen.
• Made it possible to buy more than 1 object per purchase.
• Fixed bug: Healing at the infirmary almost always causes a crash.
• Fixed bug: Running never works. Even when it gives a success message, you're dumped right back into combat.
• Fixed bug: Failing when running seems to cause absurd damage (took 50 on one attempt). Note: the more difference in speeds, the higher the damage when failing to run up to 75% of maximum health.
• Correction: Can buy things at the shop, but evidently they're free and there is no message as to succeeding in the purchase.
• Corrected: For some reason, white feathers sometimes leave a human head that won't change. Seems to happen more on females, particularly if they were males who TGed. It was because of some bad gender manipulation regarding the chest area.
• Corrected: Can't seem to drop items. You needed to have at least clicked on an item and have seen its description in order to be able to drop them later. Corrected this and works as intended.
• Corrected: When an item is dropped by an NPC after a fight, the item never makes it to your inventory. This was caused because changing items weren't specified in the global items function.
• Still getting the crash when using plenty of white feathers. Seems to be when affinity's over 70 or so. Correction -> An image of an end of game wasn't shipped in the last install. Sorry.
• Made a warning screen for overwriting saved games.

Rapid install here and here.
Python version here and here.

A note, seems I can't access TF Games. Maybe they are having difficulties, but I'm not sure. Can any one else access their webpage?

Update 06/03/2012: Even more Bugfixing

Here is the status report so far:

• Made a confirmation of purchase screen.
• Made it possible to buy more than one object per purchase.
• Correction: Can buy things at the shop, but evidently they're free and there is no message as to succeeding in the purchase.
• Corrected: For some reason, white feathers sometimes leave a human head that won't change. Seems to happen more on females, particularly if they were males who TGed. It was because of some bad gender manipulation regarding the chest area.
• Corrected: Can't seem to drop items. You used to need to have at least clicked on an item and have seen its description in order to be able to drop them later. Corrected this and now works as intended.
• Corrected: When an item is dropped by an NPC after a fight, the item never makes it to your inventory. This was caused because changing items weren't specified in the global items function.
• Still getting the crash when using plenty of white feathers. Seems to be when affinity's over 70 or so. Correction -> An image of an end of game wasn't shipped in the last install. Sorry.
• Made a warning screen for overwriting games.

What's still planned:

• New location: Outskirts of farm.
• New TF item: Lizard.
• New enemy: Lizardman.
• New enemy: Dark magician.
• New store: Tree Stump Shop.
• New NPC: Dark figure.
• New characteristic: Game history. This is mainly for tracking the bugs better. Will be a file in the game folder with a list of all the buttons that were clicked since starting the game, or loading a player. This, along the saved games file, will make following the bugs a lot easier.

Now, a special thank you to Ewe for having reported most (if not all) of these bugs.
I'll see if I can upload the almost-bugfree version today.

Update 04/03/2012: Bugfixing

Thanks to various comments about the game on the TFGames' forums, I started to track and correct the bugs in the game. Here is the status report so far:

• Fixed bug: Healing at the infirmary almost always causes a crash. This was because of how the increase of HP on the player was implemented
• Fixed bug: Running never works. Even when it gives a success message, you're dumped right back into combat. This was because the possibility to return to the previous screen wasn't implemented in the running screen.
• Fixed bug: Failing when running seems to cause absurd damage (took 50 on one attempt). This was because of some bad math.Now, the more difference in speeds, the higher the damage when failing to run up to 75% of maximum health.
• Fixed bug: Could get negative health. Was fixed implementing a method inside the player class.
• Fixed bug:  Can buy things at the shop, but evidently they're free. This was due to the lack of the line of code that "Charged" the goods to the player.

 What still needs work:

• Correction: There is no message as to succeeding in the purchase*. 
• Make a warning screen for overwriting games.
  

 *A note about the shop:

It wasn't my intention to implement a purchase screen. I personally made it that way because I can buy more items on one click. I will probably change this, to be able to buy more than one item on the same purchase and to have a confirmation screen, on the next release.

Bugs that were reported but I couldn't reproduce:

• When using the white feather, at 94 speed for some reason and 73 affinity. At that point, any action causes a crash.
• When playing the game, the computer tries to warn of something right before crashing.

What's planned for next release:

• New location: Outskirts of farm.
• New TF item: Lizard.
• New enemy: Lizardman.
• New enemy: Dark magician.
• New store: Tree Stump Shop.
• New NPC: Dark figure.
• New characteristic: Game history. This is mainly for tracking the bugs better. Will be a file in the game folder with a list of all the buttons that were clicked since starting the game, or loading a player. This, along the saved games file, will make following the bugs a lot easier.

Again, a thank you to everyone that has reported bugs.

First entry

And I officially declare you, opened....
This is the first post for the Starheaven's official blog site... and I'm probably going to be one of the few ones to ever see it XD.