February 4, 2009
This update took place from 9:30am - 10:30am PST. (Original post.)
New Bug Fix and Optimizations
First things, first: We did *not* fix all the bugs. We're not even close to claiming that yet.
But we did fix a bunch of stuff this week, and we also optimized a lot of stuff, as well.
There were more than 200 bug fixes made throughout the game. So although you probably won't notice anything hugely different, you'll probably notice a lot fewer annoyances caused by small issues here and there.
There will be even more of these fixes next week.
Optimizations
We're still just beginning the optimization process, but here are some of the immediate changes we've made:
- Added a feature to boost framerate if it dips and the user has available CPU
- Improved avatar performance (hit animation, dazed animation, healing and damage numbers animations)
- Improved hornet's nest ring performance
- Improved hotfoot performance
- Improved Sand Golem performance
- Improved Taiko Drum performance
- Improved Peelunger performance
- Improved performance for chest, crate, basket, safe.
- Improved some water animations in sewer training
- Improved train station animation
- Some avatar performance improvements (not as much updating of the avatar for things that are not visible).
- Some general efficiency improvements to things that happen on every frame or on a short timer
- Some more general efficiency improvements to things that happen on every frame or on a short timer
Wiki Notes
Game updated to version S25968.
February 12, 2009
This update took place from 9:30am - 10:30am PST. (Original post.)
PowerUp Soulbinding Changes
We'll be changing the properties of PowerUp items so that any PowerUp purchased directly from Back Alley Bargains will be tradable and non-soulbound.
Only the PowerUps gained within the game, as well as those gained from promotional items (contests or marketing promotions) will continue to stay soulbound. This is done to prevent item farming (within the game) and marketplace flooding (from promotional items).
Since PowerUps from Back Alley Bargains will be fully tradable and never soulbound, that means that players without access to GCash, as well as international players, will now start to have access to those PowerUps via the Marketplace.
Re-balance of Orb Rewards for Boss Lairs and Mini-Games
When we recently increased the orb rewards for quests and monsters, we didn't increase the rewards for the Lairs, and the Goof Course and Water Fountain games were sorely due for an overhaul to make them rewarding also.
The Lairs now grant orbs more in-keeping with the other rewards you get in those zones. NOTE: You get a lot more orbs in a large crew than you do as a solo player. This compensates for the increased challenge when playing the encounter with a large crew.
The Goof Course gives you *at least* one orb, and considerably more if you beat par for the course. (The lower your score, the higher the reward.) This reward is also scaled by the goofer's overall CL, so if you're a vet, you still get a good reward for going back and playing those games.
The Water Fountain game now rewards you with orbs, increasing in award size for every round BEYOND 12 that you complete. So...you'll start receiving orb rewards from after finishing Round 13. This theoretically has no limit...so give it a try! (You'll need a crew of four!)
Also, the Goof Course and Water Fountain "first try" rewards were increased significantly also. (Us? Tease you to try out a game? Nahhhh.... wink
Bass'ken Fluff Changes
The guards recently put out garbage cans along the road leading north. But two funny things occurred at that time:
- It turns out that the grass fluffs and carrion fluffs are intimidated by these silent iron sentinels and they now huddle in the bushes and the trees in the area instead of wandering freely.
- But when someone beats on one of the cans, that seems to encourage the fluffs to come out of hiding. (Maybe they think the trash can is no longer so threatening or something.) Carrion Flower Fluffs usually seize the moment to attack whomever beat on the can, while the Grass Fluffs just tend to play instead.
- The trash cans don't seem to intimidate the Mother Fluffs or her guardians at all. If anything, the Mothers have become more protective of the fluffs in the area. Be warned...if you are attacking a fluff...and one of the Mothers sees you doing it...you're in for a world of hurt. (And visa versa...the fluffs feel a lot more protective of their Mothers now, also.)
NOTE: This change allows anyone trying to do the repeatable quest from Ryan (the guard) to find Carrion Flower Fluffs when they want to do so. They just have to beat trash cans for a while...and dodge the Mother Fluffs at the same time.
Trixie's Tips
When you are Dazed and you choose to go back to the Null Chamber to Awaken, you will now find that Trixie tries to be helpful by giving you hints that might help you survive longer in the future.
If you don't want to see Trixie's hints, then you can speak to her right there in the Null Chamber and turn it off as a conversation option.
If you ever want to turn it back on again, you can do that in the same way.
Other Improvements
- The "Suppress your CL" conversation with Trixie has been improved so that you only see the tutorial the first time that you access that conversation (after this change). From that point on, Trixie won't force you to read the tutorial and will let you just pull up the Suppression widget instead.
- Literally, over 200 minor bug fixes are included in this update (yes...200 more...we've been busy).
Optimization Fix List
More artwork was optimized. This week's monsters that were improved for framerate reasons included:
- Sand Castle Golem
- Taiko Drum
- Predator Prairie Pup
- All Kokeshi Dolls (regular, collectible, and Kat's Doll)
Wiki Notes
- Game updated to
February 26, 2009
Two different updates took place on this date. The main update took place from 9:30am - 10:30am PST (originally planned for Wednesday or typo, as it said Thursday, 2/25, yet Thursday was the 26th) and was originally posted here: [1]. An additional update aimed at individual users happened after, posted here: [2]
Main Update
- Three new repeatable tasks in Old Aqueduct: Vox Stellarum, Into the Fray, and Alien Salvage are all three unusual quests that can be done many times. You can get those quests from (respectively), George (one of the True Believers), Agent Caruthers and the G-Corp Labtech.
- A nice new optimization improves the framerate in areas with lots of critters. This has remarkable improvement in areas like Old Aqueduct and Otami Ruins.
- New music! The new mini-boss lairs (Kat's Doll, Wolf Den, Saw Mill, and Duneslam Island) all have brand-new original music from Jeremy Soule. Plus, we've added lots of "filler" music tracks to the zones from Village to Bass'ken.
- Logic was added to mini-boss lairs so that if a player goes into an instance with low-CL rings, and then puts high-CL on *after* they enter that instance, they will receive no rewards after beating the boss in that encounter.
- More quest bug fixes.
Additional Update
We made a database fix in the wee hours of the night last night, but it appears to have only been a partial success in fixing the "blank PDA" task issue.
We'll fix the rest of it this morning. Stay tuned!
-- Q.
ALSO!!!! (More fixes made last night!)
- kptinalynn -- I fixed your player data so you can click the ladder and leave the Sewers. I also added script to ensure that anyone that manages to get stranded in the Sewers after finishing THE MUMBLER task like you did, will be able to escape via the ladder from now on.
- Boobles and Squee & LiLwEnDy88 -- Edited your player data so you can talk to Gustav again after finishing MON CHERI. I also edited the script to ensure that anyone in your situation will get out of it automatically after the next update.
- asylum lane -- We found an issue with the Peter script tonight. A fix for that is going into QA tomorrow and we hope to have a fix out in the next update.
- FlameFury98 & Rosalyn13 -- Fixed your data so you can talk to Katsumi again. I also made two fixes to her scripts so that if she won't talk to you after completing either THE WISH TREE or UNCLE KIN, she'll catch a clue and give you the correct conversation. This will fix the issue for anyone stuck in a similar situation as you and the fix will go live in the next update.
- Velheita -- Good lord. Drat, even. What a revoltin' typo. Fixed in next update. Thanks for pointing it out.
Wiki Notes
Game updated to version
February 27, 2009
Update time not listed. (Original post.)
Stone Coatl/PDA Issues
Hey folks,
Most of the Stone Coatl issues should be resolved. (You should be on step 2...the step to go defeat the Stone Coatl.)
Some people are still going to be having issues with getting credit for beating the Stone Coatl.
If that's the case with you, or if you have a blank PDA still, please respond to this thread and we'll get it fixed!
(Please only respond with issues about the Stone Coatl or blank PDA. Other issues are not being treated in this thread.)
-- Q.
(The thread was restarted so we could more easily tell who is still having issues with this *today*.)