The Gemstone of Balance and Other Stories (GGame Engine)

by Gary Arndt


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What is this?
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This document is intended to provide notes on any critical topics such as critical bug fixes, provide any notable information about given release versions, explain the different documentation that is available, and cover any other topics that do not belong elsewhere.

Reading this document is not required to play the game, but it is recommended that you scan through the following summary of topics.

Critical topics:
- A variety problems have been fixed with the party system and integration into scenario 2 along with a few general problems, as well; refer to the release notes section for details
- Fixed a very serious bug where the autosave in some cases (any use of the planar abode wand and the W overland dungeon bottom level special overhead area) would include corrupted exit data via extra instances of the same exit record and thus exits leading to the wrong locations, although only a problem if loading directly from one of those autosaves.  Refer to the release notes section for details.
- The user scenario options for scenario 2 have now been moved to a new file, "scenario-user.cfg" (they have not yet been moved for the other scenarios).  If you have made any changes that you wish to keep (note such changes are optional), please redo them in the new file but do not make any changes in the earlier file (scenario1.dat).  Refer to the "User scenario settings" section and/or the release notes section for details.
- Fixed a bug in combining item stacks in some cases.  Refer to the release notes section for details.
- Fixed a bug in the dungeon SE of Friel and the river where a new or summoned creature after killing the leader could cause it to not be considered completed.  In another dungeon, a room with beholders that another creature can summon had a similar problem and was also fixed.  Refer to the release notes section for details.
- Fixed a bug with the joining rogue NPC where an error message would appears if there was an existing party; refer to the release notes section for details
- Fixed a bug with the Seaport goblin lair quest where any remaining summoned allies would cause the quest to not be considered completed; refer to the release notes section for details
- Fixed some problems with the Move NPC command including mixed X and Y coordinates when the PC has to move out of the way; refer to the release notes section for details
- Fixed a problem with sleep powers affecting summoned allies; refer to the release notes section for details
- Fixed a problem with the party system integration where going to the Seaport theater would cause the character tile to become black and save into game saves that way.  If you have an existing game with this problem, simply rest or board/exit a vehicle to restore your character tile.
- A few different but related bugs with the incorrect party member being used (such as for the weight of inventory being reduced in some cases such as for food usage) has been fixed; refer to the release notes section for details
- An extremely serious bug in the party system where exit data could be lost in a very few particular locations has been fixed; refer to the "Party system" section "Known issues" subsection for details
- An extremely serious bug in the party system where game flags can be lost has been fixed along with a new bug fix menu option being added for the sake of any games in progress; refer to the "Party system" section "Known issues" subsection for details
- The party mode disband option has been fixed so that it properly saves that having been done
- A party system is now essentially implemented and integrated into scenario 2 (via a select few NPC's that will join); refer to the later dedicated section for details.  !!!IMPORTANT: While the party system feature has now essentially been implemented, more testing of the integration with scenario 2 along with any associated fixes still remains, meaning there may still be some problems that have not yet been found.  Therefore, be warned before adding a character who will join that there may still be some problems remaining.  One way to handle this is if you reach a point in the scenario where the party system is not yet properly integrated then to disband the party in order to continue as a singular character.

Other topics of note:
- A variety of general fixes and enhancements have been made; refer to the release notes section for more details.

Older critical topics:
(These are all included in the current baseline release 240720/240715)
- The desert dungeon is no longer incomplete; refer to the release notes section for more details.
- A new command has been added to move NPC's in case they are in the way (Control-M, "Move NPC").  Refer to this section for more details.
- Inventory is now displayed in a more logical order for both display and selection purposes.  Further, it can now also be rearranged.
- The area with the final battle has been updated so that the battles there work more correctly
- The NPC in the desert town with some key information now clarifies some vital points with regards to the two separate subjects he addresses.  If you are having difficulty with anything in that area, try speaking to him again.
- There is now a significant series of new, additional hints to make it much more clear as to how to find a hidden location that is required to complete the main quest (SPOILER: the hidden mountains location).  If you already have a game in progress and are having any problems finding this location, refer to this section for more details.
- Ships sometimes seem to mysteriously disappear.  This is not a bug, but rather part of the game.  More specifically, this is due to dangers such as whirlpools.  A more feasible solution to avoid destruction of a ship has now been implemented.  Refer to this section for more details.
- Named saves now use just one single file rather than a directory (although the older approach is still also supported)
- Bug fix: Attribute increases (such as those given at particular locations) cause values such as AB, AC, DDB, or saving throws to decrease instead of increase (in earlier versions).  This bug has been fixed and so reading this section is only important if you ran into this bug in an earlier version and have an existing save that you would like to transfer to this version.
- Bug fix: Exiting some dungeons goes to the wrong destination (in earlier versions).  This bug has been fixed and so reading this section is only important if you ran into this bug in an earlier version and have an existing save that you would like to transfer to this version.

Recommended topics:
- Documentation

Other topics:
- Release notes overview
- Release notes
- Transferring saves and save compatibility
- Unfinished features
- Misc. topics


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Documentation
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Beyond this file, other documentation currently includes:

- install.txt (the install instructions): This provides the install instructions for the game and peripheral programs along with some details about related issues

- manual.txt (the game manual): This provides the primary instructions for the game along with many peripheral details.  It is strongly suggested that you read at least the first few pages of this document (but it is by no means necessary to read it all).

- hints.txt (a hints document for scenario 2): Reading this is entirely optional and not recommended unless you need it (although you may want to scan the introduction to better understand what is available in it).  Use this if you have any problems playing the game where you would need hints / a clue book / etc..

- version.txt (version information): Viewing this is entirely optional and only useful if you need to know the version of the install.  It is just an extremely short note containing nothing more than the current version designations.


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User scenario settings
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Various documents beyond this one reference making changes to scenario1.dat for various custom settings; for sceneario 2, these settings have moved to a new file, "scenario-user.cfg", and thus changes should instead now be made in that file.  Note that they have not yet been moved for the other scenarios.

For details regarding the purpose of this change and such, please refer to the release notes.

If you do not yet have a version with scenario-user.cfg, you have the following choices:
1: Do nothing; all those settings are entirely optional
2: Make any changes you want to scenario-user.cfg such redoing any changes you already made in an older version to the old file (scearnio1.dat)

If you have a version with scenario-user-new.cfg (note the "-new"), you have the following choices:
1: Do nothing; all those settings are entirely optional
2: If you already have scenario-user.cfg from a previous version, do nothing; all new settings are entirely optional
3: If you already have scenario-user.cfg from a previous version, copy any new settings from scenario-user-new.cfg that you want and modify them as you want
4: Use scenario-user-new.cfg by copying the entire file to scenario-user.cfg (such as copy then rename) then modifying it as you want


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Party system
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For those unfamiliar, a party system is a group of player characters (PC's) rather than just one.  This means the game now has the ability to support more than a singular PC, although a singular PC is still fully supported in exactly the same manner as before.  You can even switch back to a singular PC by removing characters then using the disband option.
 
The party system is now essentially implemented and integrated into scenario 2 (via a select few NPC's that will join).  To activate this, ask one of the several NPC's who will join you to do so (and thus become a PC party member).  That said, note that these NPC's will not join until you have met certain requirements such as reaching a minimum character level by earning XP (for reasons of game balance).  Further, your character class will affect who will join and in some cases the level requirements.  Also, although the game technically allows for a huge number of party members, each scenario must define a maximum number of party members.  For scenario 2, this is set to 4 party members.

While the party system feature has now essentially been implemented, more testing of the integration with scenario 2 along with any associated fixes still remains, meaning there may still be some problems that have not yet been found.  Therefore, be warned before adding a character who will join that there may still be some problems remaining.  One way to handle this is if you reach a point in the scenario where the party system is not yet properly integrated then to disband the party in order to continue as a singular character.  However, most areas of scenario 2 have now been tested at least once so fairly unlikely that doing this will be necessary.

Also note that the party system is controlled by a single player; this is NOT the same thing as a multi-player network feature.

If a given scenario supports a party, then the following change is made:
- The 'P' command becomes "Party" rather than "Pass".  Use the help (F1) command for details.

The addition of the party system means there are now 3 distinct modes in the game:
- Singular PC
- A party of 1 or more PC's that are grouped together ("unsplit")
- A party of 1 or more PC's that are NOT grouped together ("split")

A singular PC without a party will behave in exactly the same manner as before the party system feature was implemented.

An unsplit party is similar to a singular PC but treated slightly differently:
- Entering some maps results in the party being automatically split.  Combat maps are one such situation.  Dungeon rooms are another.
- Many options in the party command ('P') become available
- Most behaviors in the game will affect what is called the "active character", which can be switched with the party set commands.  For example, if you want another character to talk to someone, then you would first switch to that character.
- Commands are used in the context of the active character
- Food will be used up for each character
- Resting will apply to the entire party
- Some damage or other negative results will apply to the entire party
- Some benefits will apply to the entire party
- The party option to manually split/unsplit becomes available in some situations

A split party is in many ways similar to a singular PC but treated differently:
- Each character takes a turn.  When the next character's turn starts, a "ping" will be shown on the character along with the name being shown in the text output.
- On some maps the characters must all exit before the map ends.  The first character to do so determines the exit in question and the rest must follow (so that the party would not be fractured into multiple groups in different locations or even different maps).  Note that if some characters leave and the rest are killed, then the map will automatically end.
- On each turn, the character becomes the current active character.  Most standard commands are still fully supported.
- Party members may in some cases end up stacked onto the same position.  When this is the case, it may appear that party members are missing, but they are there.  Only the party member highest in the party list will be able to act.  This character must move before the next highest party member is able to act.  This represents such things as the other characters being underneath when going up a ladder (or above when going down), not having fully exited a vehicle, not having completely entered a room, or simply being so crowded that they cannot do anything except wait.
- The party will be automatically unsplit when entering a vehicle, and correspondingly split when exiting the vehicle.  This allows vehicles to be supported even when currently on a map that enforces split mode.
- You can do a Look command on another party member and receive information that is specific to doing so.

The party command is very important, as it allows access to a large variety of party-related options.  As noted earlier, use the help (F1) command for details, but here are a few more details:
- If you have trouble determining which character is currently active, use the manual ping option ('P' for the party command then 'P' again for the ping option).  This will not only work when the party is split, but will also display the active character when the party is unsplit (although in this particular case will only display the text, not the visual, since all party memebers on are the same position).
- The active character can be changed manually when unsplit.  This is such an important operation that quick keys for the first 15 characters in the party are provided to do so (although must be preceded by the party 'P' command).  These are keys 1-9 and A-F.  For example, to activate character 1 you would press 'P' and then afterwards press '1'.  A-F are used in base 16 numbering (a computer concept) to mean 10-15, so it seemed somehow appropriate to use them for those characters (if a party happens to be that large).  In the unlikely event that your party includes more than 15 characters and/or in the much more likely event that you simply want a list of characters to choose from, you can do so with the '0' (number zero) key (after the 'P' party key, of course).
- The list option shows a summary of the party.
- As mentioned earlier, there is a manual split/unsplit option (which one is the opposite of the current state).  This is only allowed in particular situations.  The intended purpose is to use all characters on maps where you begin unsplit but may encounter a battle and require the help of all of the characters.  Once the threat is apparent, then the split option will become valid.  When you are done dealing with the threat, it may be helpful to go back to the original party state by using the unsplit option.
- The split option presents a choice for HOW to split that is determined by one of the standard direction keys, an arrow or the spacebar for "here".  The characters are layed out in the standard manner facing the given direction.  The "here" (spacebar) choice will stack all the characters on the same position.
- The unsplit option requires all characters to be in close proximity and will unsplit to the current character.  Note that this option is not valid in some situations.
- Note that there are a few locations where the split option is valid all of the time in order for a subset of party members to traverse dangerous terrain.  Further, note that the "Wait" command can be used to make doing so less cumbersome.
- An inventory trade option is available to swap inventory between characters.  The command will prompt for the character to take the item from (the source) and the active character is the character that will receive the item (the destination).  Note that this in a convenience that avoids having to drop/get items on the ground and also allows retrieving inventory from a dead or otherwise incapacitated character.
- A wait option is available to make actions that only require a subset of party members less cumbersome.  One situation in which this can be very useful is if the pass command keeps getting used excessively to skip particular party members so others can deal with particular actions such as exploration that doesn't require the whole party.  Options include making the current character wait, making all characters EXCEPT the current character wait, or "unwait" to unset all characters from waiting.  Wait will stop automatically for the entire party at the end of the party turns if any characters are waiting when the rest have been killed or have left the map.  It will not automatically stop due to other factors such as an attack; this must be done manually using the "unwait" option.
- The options menu includes the ability to reorder the party, remove a character, delete a character, disband the party, create a party, and toggle the skipping of view changes for disabled party members.
- Disbanding a party is useful if you have a single party member remaining in your party and prefer to play in singular character mode.  This is also a particularly useful option if you encounter any aspects of a scenario where the party system has not yet been fully integrated.  If you have more than a single party member and want to disband the party, you will have to first remove or delete the other party members (it is vastly more beneficial to remove them rather than delete them, when possible).  Note that this option does not prevent using a party again later (of course, that is assuming there are former party members to rejoin or other NPC's that will join).
- Creating a party manually is only useful if you prefer to play in party mode with a single character; it is NOT necessary otherwise, as characters who join the party will automatically cause the party to be created.  Note that this option does NOT cause other party members to suddenly become available (such as by being able to create them).
- A removed character differs significantly from a deleted character.  A removed character is asking a character to leave the party and results in the character becoming an NPC.  Such an NPC may well be willing to join the party again at a later time.  There are many restrictions on removing a character (some of which include the character not being considered a main character such as one you created yourself but rather one than joined and thus has an NPC definition, not being the active character, and not being in a dangerous situation).
- A deleted character disappears entirely from the game never to be seen again (except, of course, if you reload a game that was saved before this was done).  There are far fewer restrictions on deleting a character than removing a character (the most significant one being that you can't delete the last remaining main character).  The purpose of this option is if you have no other choice such as encounter a point in the game where the party system is not fully integrated and backtracking to a position where the remove option works would be less beneficial than simply deleting the character.  Another use is if the character has been killed and you want to make room in the party for another character (you may well want to take the character's inventory using the party trade command before doing so).
- The option to toggle the skipping of view changes for disabled split party members is very useful in situations such as when the party is traversing slow terrain since that causes multiple party members to become delayed and may cause "flashing" between characters for each delayed turn as a result.  When activated, this option will prevent the view change to the character in question but that character's turn will otherwise operate normally.  However, skipping the view change can also be a disadvantage in some cases so is not activated by default and can be toggled on or off as the player desires.  Note that another option that can help with traversing slow terrain is toggling off the automatic text pause system (F2, 'P'), but doing so is yet again a disadvantage in some cases.
- The stats options (Z and Control-Z) are also available from the party menu in case you want to look at another character's stats while they are currently unavailable to be selected as the active character (such as when in split mode or if the character in question is dead).  The only difference from the standard commands is that you are prompted to specify the party member of interest and thus are able to access this information anytime.

Although it is very unlikely, it is possible that characters in a party may get stuck.  (When I was very young and playing another game, U4, there was a bug in a particular dungeon room that prevented my character from leaving.  I was very upset because I could not figure out how to leave and did not realize at the time that it was simply a bug rather than a puzzle I could not seem to solve.  Saving in dungeons was not allowed so I lost many hours of progress when I had to restart from my most recent save outside the dungeon.)

If a character becomes stuck, you have the following options:
- If this is simply a matter of a wandering NPC that is in the way, use the Pass command (spacebar) and wait for it to move or the "Move NPC" command just like you are able to do without a party.
- As noted in the manual, you should be careful about saving the game every so often and advised to use named saves rather than just the current save.  If you do this and become stuck, you may then restart from your most recent save.  For example, say you are stuck in a dungeon room.  Since this game allows saving in dungeons, you may then restart from a recent save and lose only the progress since that point.
- If some characters have already left a map and all remaining characters on a map are killed then the map will automatically end.
- If the character in question is not the last one on the map, you may use the party option to delete another party member.  Note that you may not delete the active character so this requires that there are still other party members on the map.  That said, a new option has been added to delete so that you CAN manually and intentionally kill the active character IF you are in split mode.  If the rest of the party has left the room, then after you manually kill the last character, the exit process that happens when all remaining party members have been killed will proceed as usual.
- If you have cheat mode enabled then there are many options available that will allow leaving the map.  For example, you could cheat-move over anything between the character and the exit.

Other details:
- A few dungeon rooms contain portals.  If you enter such a room through a portal, it is best if each party member steps away from the portal on that character's turn.  This is because if you do not move (such as by passing a turn) then you may go back through the portal and then no other party member will be allowed to exit the room in any other way.  Note that in a few rooms where this is not possible, a prompt will be presented so that the party member will not do so.
- A party is now also supported by the Stats 'Z' command via new functionality specific to a party.  You may use the left/right arrow keys to move through party members, the same number and letter keys as choosing the active char to jump directly to a party member (1-9 and A-F), there is a party screen at the conceptual start / far left of the party member screens, and you may jump directly to that screen using 'P'.  Other keys will still exit the screen, as will any invalid selections (such as '5' if you only have 4 party members).  The references here to the additional keys mean after you have already entered stats with 'Z'.  For example, you could press 'Z' then use the right arrow to view the next party member or 'Z' then '1' to view party member 1, etc..
- Character creation now supports creating your own party but ONLY if it is either for a scenario that allows this (none are currently built-in that do so but a user-made scenario can now use this feature and I may add built-in scenarios that do so in the future) or if it is activated via a cheat setting for a scenario that supports a party (scenario 2 qualifies in this case).  Refer to the notes towards the end of this section for details.

Known issues:
- Given the party system is still under development, there are still various problems being found and fixed, although fewer and fewer in recent testing.  For example (although these problems have now been fixed), there were previously a very few locations where exit data could be lost when using a party, there was a situation where the game flags could be lost when using a party (if the active character was killed in some very specific circumstances), it was previously possible to heal a dead party member and therefore effectively resurrect that character, various dungeon rooms were not working with a party properly, etc..  Most of these are a matter of using the latest version, but a few are noted here in more detail.
- A number of locations depend on stored exit data and with regards to a very few of these there was previously an extremely severe bug when using a party (although the particular instance of this problem noted here has been fixed for quite a long time now; a similar problem was found and fixed more recently).  More specifically, the exit data in a very few locations could be lost and so it was not possible to exit these locations.  One of these was one specific dungeon (the whole dungeon) and the other a specific dungeon room in a different dungeon.  If you ran into this problem in one of these locations, you will need to restart your game from an earlier save.  To be clear, the problem is now fixed and so if you did not run into this problem then this is no longer a concern.  The specific known locations follow, but be warned that these are spoilers: The dungeon is the one located at the overland area north of the main continent (the deep dungeon with lava on the lowest levels).  The specific dungeon room is the 2-level room with skeletons in the dungeon that is under the ruins.  There may or may not have also been a very few other dungeon rooms but these locations were the only 2 found during testing.
- Game flags (sometimes known as "quest flags") are those that track events in the game and are therefore critical for game progress.  For example, if you have solved a given quest then one of the flags is used to keep track of that fact.  Before the party enhancement, these were stored with the singular character and is still the case without a party.  With a party, the approach is currently almost the same.  More specifically, they are stored with the current active character since all of the flags currently apply to all party members.  The active character may be changed in a number of situations.  Beyond being changed intentionally (such as by using the Party command to do so), there are also a number of situations in which the active character may be changed automatically (when the party is split and the turn changes, if the active character is killed, etc.).  There was previously (a long while ago now) a problem in the party system during the development on it (unfortunately not found until after several patch releases had already been done, although these were with the warning the party system was still under development) that has now been fixed where the game flags would essentially be LOST if the active character was killed (certain scripts that could result in the death of a party member such as the scripts for a severe sandstorm or a blizzard).  That bug has now been fixed (however, it is likely that the overall implementation of how flags work with regards to a party needs to be strengthened as part of completing the party system implementation).  Note that if you were testing out the party system feature and seem to have lost your game progress in terms of completed quests and such, you may unfortunately need to use a bug fix menu option that was added to resolve this or perhaps simply go back to a save before the active character was killed.  It was possible to implement this new bug fix option to restore the flags because they were not really lost but actually misplaced to still be incorrectly associated with the dead character rather than correctly moved to be associated with the new active character.  This new bug fix menu option (option 3) can restore misplaced flags from another party member by explicitely swapping flags with any party member (including any that are dead).  It is accessed by pressing F2 to go to the standard options menu, then F2 again to go to the advanced options menu, then 'B' to go to the bug fix options menu, then "3" to go to the specific option in question.  Select the character that was the previous active character and therefore the one storing the flags.  In case you do not remember which character was the previous active character, information regarding the flags is displayed to help you make the correct selection.
- Many special situations in the game use a mechanism called "scripting".  There are a very large number of scripts used in scenario 2.  Some of these were only set up to handle a singular character but needed to be enhanced to also support a potential party.  While many of these now been completed, there may potentially be a small number that have not yet been found due to more testing still being needed.  Some of those may potentially even break the scenario (so you'd have to disband the party to continue or avoid the map or position where this happens).  Again, this is ONLY a problem when using a party; using a singular character will still work fine (and you can go back to using a singular character by removing the other characters and then disbanding the party).
- More testing remains along with any subsequent implementation that is needed as a result of any additional problems that are found.

If you want to know where one of the NPC's is at that will join, then here is the spoiler for that:

!!! SPOILER: There is now more than one NPC in the game that will join (although with minimum level requirements for the sake of game balance), but the particular one that will be detailed here is named "Fen".  He is a figher located in the Seaport arena basement level in a room to the SW.  He will give hints that he wants to join the party.  Once you use that keyword ("join") he will do so IF you are at least level 8 (or level 4 if the character you created yourself is a rogue) AND if your primary character is not a fighter.  If you need to remove him from your party, he will be willing to rejoin you later.  You can use the "disband" option (in the party command options menu) to go back to singular character mode afterwards (or reload a save that was from before he joined).  Note that saving after using the disband option now works properly (mentioned because this was broken in the oldest party system patches).  If you do not wish to wait until you are a high enough level for him to join, note that you can use the cheat system to increase your XP.  If you are a fighter or want to try another character, note that there are 3 other NPC's that will join, each one a different class that will join if you have reached a particular level and are not the same class.  One of these is a rogue that will join at level 4 (if your primary character is not a rogue) and is located in the pirate's prison underneath Seaport.  (For those interested, I have been using Fen repeatedly for decades as a party NPC in tabletop games I run so it made perfect sense he should do the same in my CRPG, as well :) )

Lastly, there ARE now methods to create your own party whenever you want after you start the game BUT be aware of the following:
- These are intentionally not standard options for any scenario that does not directly support creating your own party (at this time, there are no built-in scenarios that do so, although any custom scenarios may or may not do so depending on how they are designed).
- That being the case, it requires using built-in cheat mechanisms.  There are 2 different approaches that are available:
1: Use the main menu character creation party options.  This is a newer feature and is how scenarios that directly support creating your own party work.  Using this requires a specific setting to be activated which, in the context of scenarios for which it is not directly supported, is considered a cheat setting (although does not require the standard full cheat mode setting to be activated).
2: Use the in-game cheat/development mode options which therefore requires the standard full cheat mode to be activated.
- Scenario 2 is currently the only scenario that has party mode activated and integrated and therefore this can only be done there (with the exception of any user-created scenario that also supports a party)
- While I wanted to at least mention creating your own party in scenario 2 can now be done, it is NOT recommended in general because it will make scenario 2 too easy; now that a party is a standard part of scenario 2, the scenario has now been rebalanced against a party that slowly grows as other character join, NOT against starting out with a party from the very beginning.  Those additional party member that join are not available during the very early part of the scenario and become progressively more difficult to get (each has a minimum primary character level requirement), the resulting game balance being similar to how you gain more powerful items as rewards as you progress through the game.
- I hope to eventually create at least one scenario that allows you to create your own party from the beginning (and to be clear, such a scenario would use the main menu character creation party mechanism with NO no need for the user to set up any cheat mechanisms), but scenario 2 did not seem a good fit for doing so (too much would have had to change in the game balance, plus my design concept for scenario 2 is for it to still start with a singular character) so I opted to instead use the approach of NPC's that join later as you progress farther into the scenario.  However, in the meantime I wanted to at least mention creating your own party can be done via cheat mode for anyone interested in trying it out.  (To be clear, the feature to create your own party from the beginning via main menu character creation is now available for any user-created scenarios that wish to use it.)
- The main menu option is the standard behavior for scenarios that allows creating your own party.  Therefore, activating it results in behavior that is as close as possible to it actually being allowed.  However, this means that it includes various restrictions (it may only be used at the beginning of the game, party size can't be changed dynamically, etc.).
- The cheat menu options are more complicated to use but have fewer limitations.  These options may only be used in-game but this also means that they may be used at any time.

The process to create a party via the main menu is as follows:
- If the scenario directly supports creating your own party (such as a custom scenario that has been set up to do so), start with the subsequent step that discusses entering the character creation menu; skip over the steps discussing activating the special setting
- If this scenario does not allow creating your own party but does support a party (such as scenario 2), you must first activate the setting as noted in scenario-user.cfg (which is considered a cheat setting in this context but does NOT require also activating the separate, full cheat mode setting).  Once the file has been saved, start (or restart) the game (this is to be sure; actually, it should at least currently as of this note load the setting simply by restarting the character creation menu).
- Note that if this scenario does not allow a party at all (such as scenario 1) then this process will not work at all (although the second method using full cheat mode should work in theory).
- From the main menu, enter the character creation menu
- Use the option to create a new character (or load one you have already created and saved using these same menu options and the same scenario)
- Note the current character is now defined and various additional options now appear.  These may now be used as you need (for example, viewing character stats).
- Use the option to add the character to the party
- Do the same for more characters until the party is full.  Note that the number of characters allowed here may or may not be less than the number allowed later in the scenario (for example, the scenario may allow creating a party of, say, 2 characters at the beginning but eventually in the course of playing the game the party may grow to a maximum of, say, 4 characters); the exact numbers depend entirely on how the scenario has been designed (and/or the values of the cheat setting).
- When your party is complete, choose the option to start a new game ('N')

The process to activate this using cheat mode is as follows:
- Make sure cheat mode is activated (this is documented in the manual)
- Start the game with a single character as usual
- Use the cheat command that allows you to create a character via control-F12, 'P' then 'A' ("party"), and 'C' ("create character")
- Create the character and save it to something such as mychar1.dat (which will automatically save to the "save" directory since this does not specify a file path)
- Use the cheat command that adds the character to the party via 'P' then 'A' ("party"), and 'A' ("add character")
- When it asks, load the character from wherever you saved it such as mychar1.dat (which will also automatically load from the "save" directory since this does not specify a file path)
- The new, additional character will now be in the party.  If you did not have a party previously, the command will have automatically created it for you.
- You may continue to add more party members in the same manner
- If you want, the number of party members can be increased using the cheat command 'P' then 'A' ("party"), and 'M' ("max size").  That said, be aware that some parts of the integration with scenario 2 have only been tested with up to 4 party members, and although I allowed for at least 8 whenever possible and often even more than that, there may be a few places in the scenario that really do only allow up to 4.  The actual maximum for the core system is far more than you should ever need (255).  As noted earlier, quick access keys for changing the active character are set up for the first 16 (although the menu key allows for more than that).
- As with any action in the game, don't forget that anything you do must be saved in the usual manner (such as F3) or it will be lost.  In other words, after you create the custom characters and add them to the party you must still save the game, of course.


***************************************************************************
An NPC is in the way due to random movement and such
***************************************************************************

In some locations an NPC may be in the way due to random movement (or special movement such as that of merchants).  During playtesting this has always been resolved simply by waiting until the NPC randomly moves out of the way (using the spacebar to pass turns).  Note that in some cases it was first necessary to move into a position where the NPC is willing to wander out of the way; a merchant tries to follow if you get close but wanders if you are farther away.  That said, in theory there could be cases where the problem is a critical one because the PC becomes trapped entirely.

Regardless of the severity, a solution has been implemented with a new command called "Move NPC" that is used by selecting Control-M.  The prompts guide you through the process, but generally you first select the NPC and then the direction in which you want the NPC to move.  If you need to move the NPC to where you are standing (which is valid given that it is sometimes necessary), then you must also select the direction where you want to move.

Note that there may be some locations where an NPC is intentionally in the way.  When this is the case it will be obvious and the NPC unwilling to move.

The assumption is that you are in some way asking or prompting the NPC to move; you are not forcing the NPC to move.  Therefore, the NPC must be willing and able to move.

More specifically, the command only works under the following conditions:
- The NPC is non-hostile towards the PC
- The NPC is willing to move at all (some always stay in one place)
- The NPC is not in combat
- The position is not blocked, and the NPC is willing and able to move onto the terrain in question
- The position is not farther away than the NPC would normally move
- The NPC movement is not disabled by conditions such as delay, sleep, stun, entangle, etc.

If any of those conditions are not met, the specific issue will be reported and the NPC will not move.  Note that a very common situation is when an NPC will not move because it is delayed when moving through slow terrain such as a door, chair, bench, etc..

Note that you CAN move an ally.  However, it will NOT move if it is still busy with combat.

Some examples of where this command can be used are politely asking a friendly peasant to move out of the way, prompting a cat to move out of the way, or asking/prompting an ally to move after all enemies have been defeated.  You can NOT tell an enemy orc to move, however.  You can NOT tell a merchant to move out of the associated store.  You can NOT tell a summoned goblin ally to move if it is still busy with combat.

The command name starting with the term "Move" (and thus Control-M) was selected because it is possible it may be enhanced further in the future to also allow moving other things such as items (rather than having to pick them up and set them down again).  However, this has not yet been integrated into the manual or the keymap system since it is so new that the name and corresponding default key are not yet absolutely certain (although it will most likely remain as it is).


***************************************************************************
Difficulty finding the hidden mountains location
***************************************************************************

WARNING: This section contains spoilers

Versions of the game previous to the changes described here DO contain some hints as to how to find the hidden mountains location required to complete the main quest.  However, it turns out that if you have explored in one particular order then the most clear of these hints will not yet be available (for logical reasons).  If you then dismiss this area as having already been explored and do not go back, you will never come across this hint which means that finding the hidden mountains location is likely to be extremely difficult.

This was a problem, not an intentional part of the scenario design, so a solution was needed.  The one that was selected was to add a significant series of new, additional hints to make it much more clear as to how to find the hidden location.

If you have been having any trouble finding the location, try going back to one of the hidden natural places spoken of by some of the NPC's.  If this does not tell you what you need to know, make sure that you have been to more than one of these locations.

Note that the original hints were not removed; the change is a series of new, additional hints.

As an aside, note that this solution also has the benefits of adding more significance to the other hidden natural locations and connecting them even more fully to the main plot.


***************************************************************************
Ships sometimes seem to mysteriously disappear
***************************************************************************

Did you leave your ship and come back later to find that it was gone?

This is actually not a bug, but rather the issue is that a whirlpool or storm destroyed the ship while you were gone.  This was an intentional part of the game design, but unfortunately it turns out that it made some areas too difficult (for example, when trying to explore the arctic region and having to leave a ship on the shore near several whirlpools).

Therefore, two changes have been made:
1: Magic has been added that can be used to protect unboarded vehicles from dangers such as whirlpools and storms
2: A message will be displayed (along with a sound) if an unboarded vehicle is destroyed even if you cannot see that vehicle

The magic consists of both a new spell and a new magic wand.  The spell can be bought from the arcane spell merchant and the wand can be bought from the shipwright or found as a part of random treasure.  In either case, the result is a magic barrier that is generated by casting onto an unboarded vehicle when standing adjacent to it.  The spell and item also include a message that explains how to dismiss the barrier.

The message helps by letting you know immediately if you may need to consider reloading from an older save.  Obviously, using the magic is the real solution, but this is intended to prevent losing any progress in the game should you forget to protect your ship.


***************************************************************************
Enhancement: Named saves now use just one single file rather than a directory
***************************************************************************

The first thing that should be mentioned right away is that the older approach is still also supported; existing named saves using the old format may still be loaded.

Anyway, named saves in older versions used a directory of files.  A significant enhancement has now been implemented that causes a save to instead be done as just one single file.  This file is called a "combined file" and includes the content of all the files that would previously have been separate in a directory.

Further, the main menu special options menu (F2) now includes tools to work with combined files (combine, uncombine, verify/compare, etc.).  For example, you can now convert old save games from the old directory-based format to the new single file format.

The purpose of the new format is to avoid various disadvantages of saves having many small, separate files (particularly when the number of files increases more and more as you get further and further into the game).  Some disadvantages include that they are harder to work with for purposes of backups, they can in some cases take up more file storage space, and in general they can be more cumbersome to manage outside of the game program.  For example, in the process of testing I do backups to an SD card, but the minimum size on that device is much higher than most of the individual files so the net total space used has been vastly higher than the actual sum of the actual file sizes.  Another example is that every time I have been running my backup tool there have been a huge number of files being processed.

All load options will check for both the old and new formats, so there is no problem loading saves done using the old format.

If for some reason you wish to go back to the old directory-based format for saving, this is still available by setting a configuration file (scenario-user.dat) new option as "CFSAVE: 0".

One more point to be clear is that this enhancement only applies to NAMED save games, NOT the current/default save.


***************************************************************************
Bug fix: Attribute increases cause AB, AC, DDB, or saving throws to decrease instead of increase
***************************************************************************

In an earlier version, did you go to a special location where it said that your attributes had increased but then discovered that your AB, AC, DDB, or saving throw values actually DECREASED?

Released versions prior to 230822 contained a bug that caused any attribute increase to decrease the related values (AB, etc.) by ignoring level (effectively assuming a level 0 character when making the increases to these values rather than any higher level).  This is now fixed.

That said, a related fix was also made at the same time.  The problem is that the incorrect, decreased values could potentially have been included in saves that are in progress done from old versions (this is the case if your save is at a point where you have already had the attribute increase and your AB, AC, DDB, and/or saving throws are lower than before the attribute increase).

To solve this potential problem, a special option to fix (recalculate) values that have been decreased is now included.  The save itself is not directly modified, but rather the changes are made after such a save has been loaded (although if you use the default save rather than named saves, do not forget it is automatically saved over in a variety of situations such as many of the map changes, so you may want to back it up before proceeding).

Further details about the fix and when to use it are displayed when the option is selected (and it should be noted that it is possible to cancel the option if you decide not to proceed).

To access this option:
- Make sure the problematic save game is available in this version (making old saves available to use in a new version is explained in a separate section later in this document)
- Start the game and load that save game
- Go to the options menu (F2)
- Select "Advanced options" (F2 again)
- Select "Bug fix options" ('B')
- Select "Recalculate attribute-related values" ("2")
- Read the text explaining the various details
- If you still want to apply the fix (which will probably be the case), then select yes ('Y'), otherwise press any other key to cancel
- Check your AB, AC, DDB, and saving throws; they should now be correct (the same or higher than before the attribute increase)
- Consider saving the game

Further notes about this option:
- The text with the option explains all of the important points of what you need to know to apply it, but is a general solution so does not addressing any specific situations
- (WARNING: This note contains spoilers.)  One of the primary ways this bug can show up is in scenario 2 to go to the special position at the end of the south path on lowest (overhead) level of the lava dungeon, the special location in the desert, or the special location in the arctic.
- I apologize for the inconvenience if you ran into this bug.  I've designed the game very carefully, but it is extremely complex and therefore bugs can sometimes appear.  This is one of the bugs that was not discovered in playtesting because the mechanism was implemented a long time ago and some changes had apparently been made since the last time it was playtested, it typically only happens very late in scenario 2 when a character is powerful enough to explore these difficult areas, and that particular situation had not been tested in a while due to my having limited time to test that far into the game on a regular basis.

Further details:
- These are non-critical details, but may be helpful if you want or need further clarification
- Remember that this fixes the problem in an active game from an old save; the problem will not reappear since the actual source of the problem has been fixed in the newer versions.  (Of course, it WILL reappear if you reload the old save again; like any change when playing the game, it only applies to the active game session and any new saves done based on that session.)


***************************************************************************
Bug fix: Exiting some dungeons goes to the wrong destination
***************************************************************************

In an earlier version, did you enter a dungeon far north of Seaport, fall into a pit, and when you tried to exit the dungeon you instead appeared at the top of the pit?

Released versions prior to 230522 contained a bug that caused exiting some dungeons (those with map-based pits) to go to the wrong location.  This is now fixed.

That said, versions 230601 and later contain a related fix.  The problem is that an incorrect position could potentially have been included in saves that are in progress done from old versions (this is the case if your save is at a point where you have already entered one of these dungeons and have been unable to leave).

To solve this potential problem, a special option to fix saves that have the wrong location is now included.  The save itself is not directly modified, but rather the changes are made after such a save has been loaded (although if you use the default save rather than named saves, do not forget it is automatically saved over in a variety of situations such as many of the map changes, so you may want to back it up before proceeding).

Further details about the fix and when to use it are displayed when the option is selected (and it should be noted that it is possible to cancel the option if you decide not to proceed).

To access this option:
- Make sure the problematic save game is available in this version (making old saves available to use in a new version is explained in a separate section later in this document)
- Start the game and load that save game
- If you are not there already, move to a position near the exit of the dungeon and consider resaving the game in case you have to attempt a second step (detailed later) so you don't have to come back again but can simply reload
- Go to the options menu (F2)
- Select "Advanced options" (F2 again)
- Select "Bug fix options" ('B')
- Select "Remove invalid exit point" ("1")
- Read the text explaining the various details
- If you are ready to apply the fix, then select yes ('Y'), otherwise press any other key to cancel
- If it says there is another additional position, then you should probably try removing that as well ('Y')
- Try exiting the dungeon.  If it goes to a wrong location but one that is different from before, then reload and try removing only 1 position rather than 2.
- Once you are able to exit the dungeon, consider saving the game

Further notes about this option:
- The text with the option explains all of the important points of what you need to know to apply it, but is a general solution so does not addressing any specific situations
- One of the primary ways this bug can show up is in scenario 2 to enter the dungeon far north of Seaport (on the east coast on the west side of the mountains), fall into one or more map-based pits, escape from (exit) each of those pits, then try to exit the dungeon from the ladder on the top level.  By the time you reach that ladder, any additional exit maps are invalid and should be removed.
- I apologize for the inconvenience if you ran into this bug.  I've designed the game very carefully, but it is extremely complex and therefore bugs can sometimes appear.  This is one of the bugs that was not discovered in playtesting because it does not happen in most situations, another bug/limitation that had been covering it up was fixed, and that particular situation had not been tested in a while due to my having limited time to test the entire game after every minor change.

Further details:
- These are non-critical details, but may be helpful if you want or need further clarification
- Remember that this fixes the problem in an active game from an old save; the problem will not reappear since the actual source of the problem has been fixed in the newer versions.  (Of course, it WILL reappear if you reload the old save again; like any change when playing the game, it only applies to the active game session and any new saves done based on that session.)
- As mentioned above, if there are more than 1 additional exit positions it is very likely that they must all be removed.  However, this is not certain for all possible situations.  Therefore, if it goes to another (different) incorrect location after applying it then it may be necessary to try removing fewer positions.  Since only 2 additional positions ("additional" meaning those beyond the first position) were allowed in the older versions of the game, this would mean trying to remove only 1 of them rather than 2.  Remember that you should do this after reloading so that it is sometime before exiting the dungeon.
- As mentioned earlier, one of the primary ways this bug can show up is to enter the dungeon far north of Seaport, fall into one or more map-based pits, exit each of the pits, then try to exit the dungeon.  Every time you exit one of these pits it will introduce the bug and the exit from the dungeon will be set to go to the top of the pit rather than outside the dungeon.  However, if you exit the dungeon from 2-3 times it will go to the correct exit location.  If it does not after 2 times (and goes to the top of a different pit), then after 3 times it should definitely go to the correct exit location.  Of course, having to work your way back through part of the dungeon (potentially twice) is not correct so the better approach is to apply the bug fix to any save containing such incorrect exit points.
- The bug fix option described here removes the most recent exit point(s).  If 2 exit points are removed, then it removes the most recent exit point then the next most recent exit point.  While it should not be necessary to do so, as a last resort you can activate cheat/development mode (explained elsewhere) and view your current exit points using the "VA" option and look for the "Exit" line (the first number is the map ID).  The process for activating cheat mode is explained in the manual.  If you are in the dungeon north of Seaport, the only exit point that you want to remain after applying the fix is the one that goes to map 2.


***************************************************************************
Release notes overview
***************************************************************************

First of all, note that specific examples in the following are from older versions; refer to the subsequent "Release Notes" section for details about specific versions (including the current version).

Most releases contain a very large number of changes everywhere from those that are very minor to those that are very significant.  However, the only specific points for particular release versions that are usually addressed in this document are things like critical bug fixes, major changes of note, etc..  This is due to not having enough time to document so many changes.

That said, the changes between versions typically include things such as:

- New scenario content or adjustments to scenario content.  At this point, such work has been almost entirely on scenario 2.  One example of new content was completing the arctic dungeon (which was an extremely lengthy project), another was adding several new spells (along with a related NPC cleric option), but there many, many more.  Similarly, one example of adjusted content was a variety of work to improve the balance of several dungeons that contain rooms, another was reducing the difficulty of random encounters at the beginning of the game, but there were many, many more.

- Fixes for minor or moderate bugs

- Improvements and enhancements to the engine.  An example of an improvement to the engine was making sure the creature name is specified during attacks, another was improving the way other verbosity modes behave, but there were many, many more.  An example of an enhancement was adding and enhancing various script commands to support some new scenario 2 content (new or adjusted content often drives such enhancements), another making it so creatures in dungeon rooms can also decide to do a group retreat, another a new mechanism to more simply define changes to a dungeon room depending on the entrance (to support work in adjusting related dungeon balance), another functionality to support a new spell (removing beneficial enchantments), but there were many, many more.

- Updates to documentation


That said, a few specific notes are provided in the following section.


***************************************************************************
Release notes
***************************************************************************

Current version:

- Fixed party related problems with some mystic points, specifically adding missing changes to the lava point for a party that did already get done for similar mystic points (making sure the most correct party member gets a special benefit and the party is checked correctly with regards to a special item) and better support in dangerous maps with mystic points for a split party with regards to terrain delay so it no longer happens repeatedly due to the delays
- The character creation menu now supports directly creating your own party.  However, this feature was added for use by user-made scenarios and any future built-in scenario that needs it; it is not activated for scenario 2 since that uses characters that join the party during the course of the game.  That said, activating this for scenario 2 IS now available as a new, special cheat option.  Please refer to the "Party system" section for more details.
- The 'Z' stats command now supports special keys for a party (the left/right arrows, shortcut keys, and a party screen); refer to the "Party system" section for details


Version 250309:

- The user scenario options for scenario 2 have now been moved to a new file, "scenario-user.cfg"; do not redo the changes in the earlier file (scenario1.dat).  If you have made any custom changes previously, you will need to redo those changes in the new file.  Moving the user settings was done mainly in order to avoid requiring this needing to be done again in the future.  The original file needed changes as part of another, unrelated enhancement so it seemed the appropriate time to move the user settings out of that file (meaning, any user changes would have needed to be redone due to that, anyway).  Note that the user settings have not yet been moved for the other scenarios.
- Fixed a very serious bug where the autosave in some cases would include corrupted exit data via extra instances of the same exit record and thus exits leading to the wrong locations, although only a problem if loading directly from one of those autosaves.  This applied to the autosave done for the lowest level of the dungeon to the west where you enter a special overhead area and to the autosave done whenever using the planar abode wand.  This is very similar to a much older bug that has long since been fixed but results in the same problem.  Therefore, the details and solution to that bug fix are the same including being able to use the bug fix menu option (option 1) to fix a corrupted save.  Refer to the section "Bug fix: Exiting some dungeons goes to the wrong destination" for details regarding the older bug; the same approach applies in this case, as well.  That said, note that in this particular case the problem occurs only if you reload from the autosave done when entering that dungeon's special overhead area or the autosave done when using the wand.  It is important to be clear that if you did not reload from those autosaves, later saves would not have been NOT corrupted by this bug.  Any corrupted save can be fixed using the afore-mentioned bug fix option.  A corrupted save will be evident if you exit any current location and end up back in the position where you reloaded from the autosave.  If you go back to that exit and try exiting again (requiring 1-2 attemps) it will eventually go to the correct location, but obviously doing so is not optimal so the better option is to remove the extra exit record(s) using the bug fix option.
- Fixed a bug where several Party sub-commands when used without a party would cause a crash.  Further, the "NO PARTY" message is now more consistent between the various sub-commands.
- Fixed a bug in reading the scenario settings where a long comment could cause problems due to a buffer overflow.  Note that additional related changes are still needed for this problem but the immediate bug should be resolved.
- The active character can now be changed when in a vehicle.  This change was actually included in version 250301 but including a note about it was forgotten (although now added to those notes, as well).
- The conversations associated with the rescue quest in the town of Harborside have been enhanced to both better support a party and also to address the possibility of a PC cleric.  The former includings detecting the unconcious NPC in the inventory of any party member.  The later does not change any aspect of the quest but instead is simply a matter of clarification.
- An enhancement has been made to allow pregenerating characters from the main menu character creation menu.  Note that the original option is still available.  Anyway, while useful on its own, the motivation for this enhancement was as a prerequisite enhancement for a future enhancment to also supporting a user-made party from that menu.  That said, the plan is for that to be for the sake of custom or future scenarios that start with a user-made party; there is no plan to enabled it for scenario 2 given the party in that scenario is based entirely on NPC's that join for the sake of game balance (although the plan IS also to allow enabling that menu via a cheat option as an alternative to the current cheat-menu-based method described in the party system section of this document).


Version 250301:

- Improved some NPC conversations with respect to various minor issues (spelling, keywords that should be only conditional, a few additional keywords and/or responses, etc.)
- Fixed a bug in the feature to skip disabled party members where the first party member would sometimes incorrectly appear in place of another (a draw done at the end of the party turn needed to consider this feature)
- The active character can now be changed when in a vehicle
- Party member Wait is now shown as a condition in the party list, Look, and Z-stats.  Further, delay is now also included in the later.
- A negative modifier (such as resulting from a wraith's attack) is now shown as a condition in the party list, Look, and Z-stats
- Party member Wait is now automatically ended for all party memebers when anything ends party split, for example when manual unsplit or Board is used.  Persisting Wait mode to other instances of a split party was counter-intuitive and inconsistent with save/load (since the state is not saved/loaded) so ending it when split is ended was the most logical approach.
- Fixed a bug in combining item stacks in some cases due to item charges not combining correctly in some cases.  This sometimes caused an error message such as in some cases when combining charge-based items in ship cargo.  In theory this could also have sometimes instead caused an incorrect item quantity but that particular potential problem was not duplicated.  In any case, the root of this bug has now been fixed.
- Fixed a bug in the dungeon SE of Friel and the river where a new or summoned creature after killing the leader could cause it to not be considered completed for the related quest.  If this happened to you, re-entering and leaving that dungeon will recheck the result and allow completing the quest.  In another dungeon, a room with beholders that another creature can summon had a similar problem and was also fixed.  Specifically, if you killed the creature doing the summoning then soon afterwards summoned an ally, the beholders would continue to be summoned even though the creature doing the summoning had been killed.


Version 250214:

- Fixed a bug in vehicle ammo where it was incorrectly checking the current PC's remaining ammo (although not actually using it) when using a ranged weapon.  For example, if the PC had a sling readied with 0 bullets remaining it would prevent firing a ship's cannons, issuing a message that there was no ammo remaining when that wasn't true.
- Added messages that that clarify the party member target of a power (including resistances).  Which party member was the target of a power could be very unclear in large battles, when crossing dangerous terrain, etc..
- Added a party "wait" command to improve the gameplay in particular areas and/or for particular actions.  This new command allows 1 or more characters to be intentionally and temporarily skipped when the party is split and therefore be less cumbersome for particular gameplay activities such as exploring.  For example, a single party member may be the only one resistance to a given type of dangerous terrain and therefore be the only one that should be used to explore that terrain.  Note that some areas have been changed so that the party split command can be used even when there is no nearby enemy.  Another example is exploring dungeon rooms where only a subset of the party is needed to do so and passing turns for the others is cumbersome.
- Made some changes to the lava dungeon and swamp area to better support a party
- Changed some descriptive text in the bandit keep to be more appropriate if using a party
- Changed a few maps to use a more powerful AI type (allowing the enemies there to make more intelligent choices in movement and/or battle)


Version 250207:

- Fixed a bug with the joining rogue NPC where an error message would appears if there was an existing party.  This was NOT a problem if there was no party yet so was not caught during earlier testing where she was the first NPC to join.
- Fixed a bug with the Seaport goblin lair quest where any remaining summoned allies would cause the quest to not be considered completed.  A work-around was to kill these allies, but the need to do so was incorrect, not necessarily obvious, and not consistent with good role-playing.
- Fixed some problems with the Move NPC command including mixed X and Y coordinates when the PC has to move out of the way.  This first manifested in testing when it was not possible to move an NPC that was standing east of the PC to the west when at the north edge of the map.  A more minor problem was a missing line feed before the resulting error message.
- Fixed a problem with sleep powers affecting summoned allies and resulting in an error message.  For example, if you were getting strange error messages when fighting beholders and having summoned allies, this fixes it.
- Added a missing update to HP after an enemy attack when in a party and split
- Fixed the end menu appearing an extra time after reloading or loading
- Fixed a win sequence message to consider a party and the win sequence to consider reloading after a save in Friel
- Rebalanced the final battle to consider a party


Version 241122:

- Fixed a problem with the party system where split would allow some party members to be placed beyond barriers such as walls
- Fixed a general problem with the Yell command, that being that aborting by entering nothing no longer uses up a turn.  For example, if you try to enter a prompt with a 'Y' and accidentally invoke the Yell command instead, you can now abort by pressing ENTER without it using up a turn.
- Fixed a problem with the party system integration where going to the Seaport theater would cause the character tile to become black and save into game saves that way.  If you have an existing game with this problem, simply rest or board/exit a vehicle to restore your character tile.
- Fixed a general problem with wrapping maps where any map small enough to wrap more than once on the screen, meaning basically on a view map (in scenario 2, meaning crystal balls and view spells), would not display beyond that point correctly when scrolling and after scrolling yet farther would even crash the program.  This was effectively a relatively minor problem because it does not currently show up in any known normal situation in the scenarios due to restrictions on when view can be used on current small wrapping maps, but can show up when using cheat commands, could in the future on small overhead wrapping maps that do allow view, and could show up in custom scenarios.
- Fixed a minor general problem on view maps with the character position tile (the red dot in scenario 2) not showing up when scrolling to over the border on wrapping maps
- Fixed several problems related to wrapping overhead maps where a few of the newer features were in some cases not considering wrapping maps (wrapping was not properly integrated into those newer features).  This included several general features (such as area effect spells and screen locking across the border) and party system features (such as displaying party members across the border and also both splitting and unsplitting the party across the border).  If on a wrapping map party members seem to be disappearing (they are actually simply not displaying), unsplit isn't being allowed (it is assuming they are too far away), area spells are cutting off (it is assuming a hard border), etc., those are these issues and are now fixed in this version.  The place these issues show up in scenario 2 is a spoiler: The bottom level of the arctic dungeon in that dungeon's final battle, which happens to be on the edge of wrapping borders.
- More overall progress on the party system, but a few minor issues may still be incomplete with respect to the integration into scenario 2 (more testing is needed to determine if there are still any additional issues that have not yet been found).  The main focus has been dungeon levels testing and related integration/fixes.


Version 241115:

- Note that versions 241111 and 241107 were tested and valid, but not posted when they were new so also refer to the notes for those versions when checking what is new in this version from after the prior posted version, 241101.  There were many issues addressed in these versions since the last posted, many of them very significant, so those notes are a very important part of the notes for this version.
- Fixed a minor general typo in a store menu, "Studden" -> "Studded"
- Fixed a minor general inventory order problem with a particular special dungeon item not being included in the order
- Fixed a general problem where you could take 1 action after saving and reloading when the PC or party was dead
- Fixed a problem when using a party with resting where the sidebar SP field could be updated due to another party member regaining SP when the active char did not have SP and so it would display that SP value and no title
- Fixed a minor problem when using a party in split mode with the MoveNPC command, specifically moving out of the way would not work when split (there was no problem if not moving out of the way)
- More overall progress on the party system, but a few minor issues may still be incomplete with respect to the integration into scenario 2 (more testing is needed to determine if there are still any additional issues that have not yet been found).  The main focus has been dungeon levels testing and related integration/fixes.


Version 241111:

- Note that version 241107 was tested and valid, but not posted when it was new so also refer to the notes for that version when checking what is new in this version from after the prior posted version, 241101
- Fixed a bug where mass versions of turn undead spells were angering non-undead allies caught in the spell
- Spells using the complex system such as in scenario 2 may now be selected using 2 alternate methods since using the list order can sometimes be inconvenient for various reasons (the numbers sometimes change, etc.).  The first is to instead of a number type one or more characters of the spell name and it will go through the list in order until one matches (if it matches the wrong one that starts out the same you can end it with a '.').  The second is to select F2 "casting options" and select the ID mode which allows using a unique ID.
- A cast spell now always reiterates the selection (meaning, displays) which one is being cast
- Made a few enhancements to the planar abode
- Fixed a bug in the party system where only the active PC was checked for a level increase during giving XP.  Also enhanced the message so it is clear which PC is gaining the level when there is a party ("[PC name]" rather than "you").
- It is no longer possible to unsplit in dangerous situations on most maps (those that use the default for allowing split/unsplit)
- Verifying proximity for unsplit and nearby danger for several things (such as allowing saving on some maps and allowing split and unsplit on some maps) are both now done in a circular pattern rather than a square.  Further, unsplit doesn't allow distance from the active PC of greater than the number of additional party members and there are also other additional enhancements to the verification process that mean all party members must now be much closer to each other.  If all else fails, make sure each party members is close to the active character and next to at least one other party member.  Note that being in a line does satisfy these requirements.
- Fixed a problem in unsplit where any delay when split would remain on the party members in question (now it unifies the greatest to the active character and resolves it as part of the unsplit)
- Fixed a problem where you could cast "[Spell] Other" spells (e.g., "Cure Other") on targets when on first-person maps and large-scale overhead maps; this is now prevented
- More overall progress on the party system, but a few minor issues may still be incomplete with respect to the integration into scenario 2 (more testing is needed to determine if there are still any additional issues that have not yet been found).  The main focus has been dungeon levels testing and related integration/fixes.


Version 241107:

- Special chests that lead to encounters now have a minor memory-related bug fixed and now handle a party properly
- The display of a dead party member is now handled more properly, for example, conditions such as stun and sleep are removed, condition is listed as dead, etc.
- A party pass command has been added
- The Look command on a party member now displays all conditions
- Combat messages now display the party member in question
- More overall progress on the party system, but a few minor issues may still be incomplete with respect to the integration into scenario 2 (more testing is needed to determine if there are still any additional issues that have not yet been found).  The main focus has been dungeon levels testing and related integration/fixes.
- A cheat command has been added that, along with another existing command, will allow creating your own party in scenario 2 (although this is not generally advisable due to scenario 2 game balance, thus why it is a cheat option rather than a standard option).  Text has been added to the party system notes in this document describing this in detail.


Version 241101:

- For the sake of game balance vs. a party and because it was a pending task, anyway, several creature types now have area effect powers rather than their original single-target powers.  For example, (full) beholders now use their power on a circular area rather than a single target.
- A general bug (not specific to the party system) was fixed that was accidentally introduced in version 241012 where the view no longer was set properly in dungeon rooms with certain special characteristics.  SPOILER: The specific characteristic are some dungeon rooms that are a non-standard size such as one in particular in the arctic dungeon.
- A series of bugs was fixed (not specific to the party system) where several situations that check for a locked door were not considering a subsequent item that could be dropped could reuse the same ID of the removed door item object (via Unlock) and thus prevent those from proceeding correctly.  For example, one NPC that will not join if a given locked door is not unlocked would also not join if a dropped item reused the same ID as that door that had previously existed.
- All NPC's that will join have had various improvements to their conversations (including being clear if they will never join due to class) and there is no a warning about the party system being incomplete (although actually the party system does still need more testing and any related fixes, just is now integrated and complete enough that this text was no longer appropriate).  Along with this, an NPC directly associated with one of the NPC's that will join doing so now responds to more keywords including those that are more obvious and also has a few other improvements to his conversation.
- A new party option has been introduced that will skip view shifting to characters that are disabled by delay or sleep.  For example, this may be useful in dungeon rooms with a lot of slow terrain that causes delays and as a result cause a lot of flashing as the view shifts from one party member to another.  Activating the new option will avoid the flashing but may not be advantageous in some circumstances so is left up to the player to toggle on/off as desired.  The option is under the party command ('P'), options ('O'), and is the 'V' suboption as listed in that menu.
- A new Show Object State ("ENTER" key) command has been added called "DISABLED" that will display conditions such as delay, sleep, no-attack, and no-move
- More overall progress on the party system, but a few minor issues may still be incomplete with respect to the integration into scenario 2 (more testing is needed to determine if there are still any additional issues that have not yet been found).  The main focus has been dungeon levels testing and related integration/fixes.


Version 241026:

- It is now possible to move summoned allies that are not engaged in combat rather than having to attack them when they are in the way (meaning, this is now support in the Control-M "Move NPC" command).  Note that they will still NOT move if they are busy with combat (they detect a nearby enemy).  For example, say a summoned goblin ally is standing in the way of a narrow bridge after the combat has ended and therefore some of the party can't use the same exit as a result.  Rather than having to attack the ally to get it out of the way, it can now be moved peacefully with the Control-M command.
- It is now possible to trade inventory when the party is split (such as in dungeon rooms and group combat)
- Fixed a problem where the sidebar was incorrectly displaying the wrong character data after using the party-stats option ('P', 'Z')
- Fixed a problem where an unsplit party member was sometimes listed as delayed in some cases such as after falling into a map-based pit trap
- More overall progress on the party system, but a few minor issues may still be incomplete with respect to the integration into scenario 2 (more testing is needed to determine if there are still any additional issues that have not yet been found).  The main focus has been dungeon levels testing and related integration/fixes.  A dungeon room was improved for party purposes as part of this (as usual).


Version 241019:

- A few bugs in the party system were found and fixed with regards to the wrong party member being used including the screen position of the visual for the results of some powers, the point counter modifiers or morale points used up in some cases (such as AC increases vs. enemy attacks), the results of stun, and the reduction of inventory weight when a resistance item or food is used up.  The correct party member should now be used in these situations (for example, when food is used up the weight will be subtracted from the correct party member).  If you suspect your encumbrance (character inventory weight) has been corrupted, there is now a new bug fix menu option to fix this (F2, F2 again, 'B', then option "4").
- More overall progress on the party system, but a few minor issues may still be incomplete with respect to the integration into scenario 2 (more testing is needed to determine if there are still any additional issues that have not yet been found).  The main focus has been dungeon room integration.
- While not a change to the game itself, it may be worth noting that this document was updated where it discusses the NPC that will join in order to clarify that you must be a different class in order for him to join (meaning, NOT a fighter) and if you are a fighter, an alternative NPC that WILL join (a rogue, also located in Seaport)


Version 241012:

- An arctic dungeon room that did not work properly when using a party (preventing reaching a goal critical to completing that dungeon) has now been fixed (broken dungeon rooms and similar problems on other maps have been fixed in many recent patches although not usually noted)
- More overall progress on the party system, but a few minor issues may still be incomplete with respect to the integration into scenario 2 (more testing is needed to determine if there are still any additional issues that have not yet been found).  Because this version has fewer critical fixes then usual in previous versions, it may be worth noting some of the more moderate issues that have been fixed (although such issues are not usually noted).  Some of these include better positioning on maps larger than the screen size when going to the next party member turn, adding a related new F8 screen locking option for adjusting the screen to best fit, allowing for then using a prompt for some specific portals (those where a party member may be delayed so as to not be forced a blocked party member back through), and improving the behavior of certain scripts specific to given dungeon rooms with respect to a party (pausing before proceding to the next party member turn, redrawing when a party member is killed, etc.).


Version 241004:

- An extremely serious bug in the party system was fixed regarding map transitions when using a party where exit data could be lost in a very few locations (refer to the earlier introductory notes for details)
- More overall progress on the party system, but a few minor issues are still incomplete with respect to the integration into scenario 2 (along with more testing needed to determine if there are still any additional issues that have not yet been found)


Version 240926:

- An extremely serious bug in the party system was fixed regarding game flags when using a party and a new bug fix menu option was added for the sake of any games in progress (refer to the earlier introductory notes for details)
- It is no longer possible to cast spells such as Heal on party members that are dead
- More overall progress on the party system, but at least a few things may still be incomplete with respect to the integration into scenario 2 (more testing is needed to determine this)


Version 240919:

- More progress on the party system, but at least a few things are still incomplete with respect to the integration into scenario 2


Version 240909:

- More progress on the party system, but at least a few things are still incomplete with respect to the integration into scenario 2


Version 240903:

- More progress on the party system, but still incomplete


Version 240825:

- More progress on the party system, but still incomplete.  Note that the party "disband" option has been fixed so that the results of doing so will now save properly (before this was fixed, party mode would reactivate when the save in question was reloaded).
- Fixed a minor so now the rainstorm in the village near the keep now does not happen with every load but rather just when entering


Version 240817:

- A party system is now largely implemented and available for demo purposes in scenario 2; refer to the earlier dedicated section for details.  !!!IMPORTANT: As already mentioned but worth repeating, some aspects of the party system feature are still very much INCOMPLETE and so do NOT add a character who will join the party unless you want to demo the incomplete version of the feature!


Version 240715/240720:

- Implemented a significant enhancement for editing text input but for the sake of stability via using it only in a few prompts to begin with, this is by default only used by the script console for the time being.  That said, it can be activated manually for a few additional prompts (such as those for load/save and conversation/etc. input) using a new config file setting in game.cfg called "INPUTMODE".  If there are any problems, that same setting can be used to revert to the old behavior for all prompts.  It is intended that the enhanced functionality will by default also be used by other prompts at a later time (after they are more well-established).  Anyway, the enhancement allows for backspace to the previous line, right/left arrow keys, control right/left arrow keys to jump by word, home/end keys, control-V to paste from the OS clipboard, and existing keys and scrolling and such being able to deal with when having used such keys to go back through the entered text.  Further, insert operations are supported with backspace deleting a character entirely (control-backspace to instead ovewrite with a space), delete, and insert to insert a new character with a space.  Overtype is the default at this time because it is more well-tested, but a full insert mode (typed chars will automatically insert) can also be toggled with control-insert or even activated by default with the afore-mentioned config setting.  Note that the afore-mentioned script console is only available when cheat mode is active, but the other prompts mentioned (such as for load/save) are of course available regardless.


Version 240607:

- Added multi-position tile FX to the engine and uses of it to several places in scenario 2 including new resting weather-based encounters
- Fixed a transparency-related problem with lava walls/etc. (caused not able to see beyond a door when standing in it, some of the image above the door when viewed from the side to be blocked out, etc.)
- Changed the desert dungeon treasure chest encounters so that they show an actual treasure chest (customized to a more appropriate default Get message) rather than a hole


Version 240519:

- A variety of details in the desert dungeon were previous incomplete, although the basics were in place so it was still worthwhile (as a message at the entrance pointed via in-game phrasing).  However, a huge amount of work has been done on that dungeon and now those details are no longer incomplete (and the related message at the entrance has been removed).  Games where this dungeon has already been explored will not be able to take advantage of most of these changes, but if you haven't been there yet then they will be available (to be clear, this would of course include all new games, as well).  These details include hints and other advantages to help solve the dungeon's main puzzle, additional treasure, and a few details just for color.  Most areas that were empty just because they hadn't yet been finished are no longer empty (with just a select few left intentionally empty).
- Fixed a minor bug with winning while in a vehicle such as a boat
- Changed the name of some of the summon wands to be more clear


Version 240311:

- A variety of general fixes and enhancements have been made including a new option to move NPC's in case they are in the way (Control-M, "Move NPC"); balance improvements for some spells, creatures, and treasure; ship (vehicle) cargo and other interactive containers now include a reorder option; the option to pour out waterskins; ship HP will now be shown even in a combat scene; remaining light will show up in the detailed stats list; the Ignite option will warn/prompt if you already have an active light source; quantity and/or charges now show up in selection lists where useful; keys now use distinct names; and a number of minor issues (one improved message for the summon entity wands, setting the proper allowable View level on one map, the default start position on another, no quantity prompt when 1 waterskin, quantity prompt for the magic items merchant, etc.).


Version 240224:

- Inventory is now displayed in a more logical order for both display and selection purposes.  Further, it can now also be rearranged.  The manual was updated with the details along with a few related changes.


Version 240209/240210:

- The area with the final battle has been updated so that the AI works more correctly and the battles in that area are more balanced in general
- The NPC in the desert town with some key information now clarifies some vital points with regards to the two separate subjects he addresses.  If you are having difficulty with anything in that area, try speaking to him again.
- Significant playtesting has been continuing and it is clear that with the changes in this version, the scenario now works fairly well all the way to the end.  Addressing a series of moderate to minor issues discovered during playtesting and various enhancements will be planned for future versions.


Version 240131:

- Added a significant series of new, additional hints to make it much more clear as to how to find the hidden mountains location that is required to complete the main quest.  This is very important because the only significant hint that existed previously depends entirely on the order of exploration and therefore in some cases can make finding this location extremely difficult without the new series of hints.  If you are having any problems finding the location, try going back to one of the hidden natural places spoken of by some of the NPC's.
- Replaced a textual village on the S overland map with a real village (although not yet fully detailed)
- As usual, fixed a few minor bugs (such as some doors that should allow horses in Seaport not doing so)
- Significant playtesting has been continuing since version 230624 and all patches have been focused mainly on issues found during that process


Version 231008:

- Added an "Easter Egg" quest (to make some areas more interesting).  Good luck!  Note this is likely to only be available for new games; many games in progress will not be able to find this quest (saved areas don't pick up some of the necessary changes).  "Easter Eggs" are entirely optional, so this doesn't introduce a problem.


Version 230921:

- Implemented solutions to deal with whirlpools destroying ships (as detailed earlier)


Version 230909:

- A major enhancement for named saves using just one single file rather than a directory has been implemented (as detailed earlier)


Version 230825:

- Fixed a fairly severe bug where an ambush while in a ship or boat could sometimes result in land creatures that normally require a ship (such as pirates) to instead appear on the water.  The combat would not end without killing them since it is not possible to retreat from a ship-to-ship or boat-to-ship combat.  If you were a spellcaster, had area-effect spells, or had a long-range magic weapon, then you could kill the creatures from a distance in order to end the combat.  They were also able to attack adjacent positions as if they were the vehicle.  Ambushes from ship-based types were being generated because they are included on the general random encounter tables but were not being filtered out for ambushes.  This is now fixed.
- Fixed a notable bug where carrying weight at or close to max into the Planar Abode when the wand had only 1 charge remaining caused it to be dropped on the portal.  While a "Get" could later be used to retrieve it (then causing the portal to trigger), this was still incorrect and needed to be fixed.  The root problem was actually a more general one with any rechargable item and was therefore fixed for all of them.


Version 230822:

- Fixed a severe problem with attribute increases (as detailed earlier)
- Directly playtested through a significant portion of version 230624 (using a wizard character) finding a number of minor issues, 2 moderate issues, and 1 severe issue (attribute increases)


Version 230624:

A few but not all of the changes include:
- Fixed a particularly problematic bug where when there are a large number of creatures a few could be placed in bad starting positions on the foothills or ford combat maps.  This bug could cause a zoom combat not to end without using a missile weapon or spell to kill a trapped creature.
- Fixed a particularly problematic bug related to referencing memory incorrectly during a few conversation-based map transitions (the Seaport arena and theater merchants, and the ice gnome).  This bug could cause error messages related to NPC movement or a crash upon subsequent map transition.
- Just a few of various minor bug fixes include not allowing being aboard vehicles (such as horses) when watching an arena match and fixes/improvements related to getting wandering NPC's moved out of inn rooms being used


***************************************************************************
Transferring saves and save compatibility
***************************************************************************

There are 2 issues addressed in this section.  The first is transferring saves from one version to another and the second is the overall issue of compatibility.

Saves are not currently checked in any way to determine if they belong to the current version or even the current scenario; you are allowed to load any game in any context even if it does not end up working properly.  (This may change in the future, but if so the change would most likely be to issue a warning that such a game may not be compatible and to potentially provide an import option.)

To transfer a save from one game to another, simply copy or move the save from the old version's save directory to the new version's save directory.  Alternatively, you can include the path to the save in the old version when you load from the new version, but this is likely to be rather cumbersome.

For example, say you had a save game named "87" that you wanted to transfer from "C:\Games\GGame2.230308" to "C:\Games\GGame2.230522".

This would mean that you would copy "87" from "C:\Games\GGame2.230308\Save\87" to "C:\Games\GGame2.230522\Save\87".

You can also move the game rather than copying it, but a copy has the advantage of providing a backup in case something goes wrong and allowing the old version to still be used for any comparision purposes.

You may notice that the name of the install directories used in the examples above have been customized with a ".[version]" suffix.  It should be clarified at this point that this game is designed in a way that makes it so that you CAN rename the install directory name as needed in order to have multiple versions (which is different from many programs which only allow one version to be installed at a time).

Anyway, the public versions released so far are likely compatible with older versions.  This has been tested with scenario 2 saves that are not far into the game but not tested nearly as well with those that are much further into the game.  However, the game does attempt to resolve inconsistencies between an older save and a newer version whenever possible (often by loading it anyway but potentially issuing warnings and/or potentially applying corrections when such corrections are obvious).  An example of such an inconsistency is when a given map has changed significantly in a newer version and an older save game is saved against the older version of that map.

Another point is about the default save.  The default save is the one that is used when you use options like 'Q'.  It has no name that you provide yourself, but you will see it in the "Save" directory as "Default" with a suffix for the corresponding scenario ID (for example, "Save\Default2" for scenario 2).  Automatic saves such as the ones done during many map transitions always use this, which means it will be saved over quite often.  Therefore, if you are using only this method of saving rather than named saves, it is recommended that you do not simply move this save but rather copy it so that you still have the original as a backup within the previous version of the game.

Another point is that while you are likely to be able to use most saves in a newer version, it is far less likely that a save from a newer version will work in an older version.

Loading a save in a scenario other than the one it was saved in is not recommended.  An exception would be if a 3rd party designer specifically designs multiple scenarios that allow this (for example, creates a sequel that will accept a save from the previous scenario).  None of the currently-included scenarios support this, however; they are all mutually-exclusive.  Loading a save in the wrong scenario is allowed, but will typically result in a number of errors.  For example, consider that map 2 in scenario 2 is entirely different from map 2 in scenario 1 and the saved information about it will therefore be totally invalid if it had been saved in the other.


***************************************************************************
Unfinished features
***************************************************************************

The following is a partial list of some features that are not yet complete.

General:
- The rogue class for scenario 2.  This class CAN be selected and played, but will be weaker than other characters since many of the advantages of the class are not yet implemented.
- Fine-tuning the game balance for scenario 2 (this does not mean that the balance is wrong, just that there are a few minor adjustments that would improve it)
- Scenarios 1 and 3 are unfinished in many ways.  Although they can be played from start to finish, they are both like very rough drafts.  In particular, the basic numeric values defined for both scenarios are still simply placeholders (things like HP's, attack values, etc.).
- A multi-character / party system; the game is currently single-player only.  A lot of the preliminary work for this feature is already complete (such as zoom-in combat and allies), but there is still significant work remaining.

Scenario 2 locations:
- The content for the castle on the W continent is mostly unfinished, although the basic layout is done and there are already some NPC's there that are worth talking to such as the king
- The content for the keep near the swamp on the S continenent is mostly unfinished (although many things such as the layout are finished and it can be explored)
- There are some additional NPC conversations that need to be added to the desert town


***************************************************************************
Misc. topics
***************************************************************************

Clarification regarding the use of the term "AI":

The term "AI", which stands for "artificial intelligence", is used in several places throughout the documentation and in special settings within the game itself.  This term has been in use for MANY years as a general concept.  Like most other games over many decades, the AI in my program was written entirely from scratch; none of it uses any 3rd party code.  The AI here consists of code that allows enemies and other NPC's to decide where to move, when to attack, when to use powers, etc..  In other words, a reference to the term "AI" is a reference to MY own code (and has been since the earliest versions of my game in the early 2000's).


Clarification regarding the use of the name "GGame":

The name "GGame" here stands for "Gary's Game" as a reference to my name as the author since I was having trouble thinking of another name and this was more short, simple, and sounded better than the other names I had considered for my engine.  At some point years later, it looks like the name began to be used for other meanings; any such meanings are not intended here.
