http://www.kolumbus.fi/topi_ylinen/peleron/"Peleron's Brilliant Rebirth version 0.106 pre-alpha is now
publicly available. This is a "skills" release that implements
most missing skills (whereas the previous version implemented
most of the missing spells).
And here's the complete list of changes since the last version:
- This version implements or enhances a number of previously
unimplemented/partially implemented basic skills:
* Alchemy (see below for details)
* Ambidextrosity
* Backstabbing
* Blind Fighting
* Channeling
* Dodging
* Element Resistance
* Fearlessness
* Free Action
* Iron Will
* Magic Resistance
* Martial Arts Defense
* Physician
* Smithery (see below for details)
* Soul Protection (fully, was only partially implemented before)
* Whirlwind Attack
In other words, the only basic skill that is still completely
unimplemented is the Disarming skill, since that would require
monsters using/wielding objects first.
- How to use the Alchemy skill: You must first have the correct
ingredients. Typically they are herbs, but sometimes powdered gems
are also used. Then you simply mix them by using the Alchemy
skill. Here is a sample recipe: try mixing Holly and Ginseng. Note
that some recipes may use up more than 1 unit of certain
ingredients.
- Turned on the "slotted items" code. This allows item
modification with the Smithery skill by inserting certain items
into empty slots (see below). There are not many items with
available empty slots in the game so far, but you might find a
couple in the testing dungeons (the Master Dungeon and the Forge
of Chaos). The number of empty slots (if any) is displayed in the
object description.
- The Smithery skill can be used in two ways. 1) Repair a damaged
object (i.e., an object with minuses). The Smith's level must be
at least 50% of the level of the damaged object, and the Smithery
skill must be high enough (vs. the amount of damage/minuses)
before this can be done. 2) Modify an object. If you have an
object with empty slots and objects that can be inserted (like
certain gems), you can permanently modify the object by inserting
an object. The Smith's level must be at least 50% of the object
with the empty slots before this can be attempted.
- Skill advances via practice and training are a lot more common
now.
- Telepathy and Locks & Traps were incorrectly marked as
"activatable" skills. Fixed.
- Implemented the following Martial Arts talents:
* Catch Missiles
* Heroic Leaping
* Levitation
* Pass Wall (untested)
* Roar of the Tiger
* Sideways Walking
* Small Step
* Sweeping Step
* Weapon Dance
- Generally revamped Martial Arts attack modes and code.
Implemented the following special effects for the related Martial
Arts attack modes: Knockout-%, Whirlwind Attack, Tripping,
Slowness, Stamina Drain, Nausea, Pain, Paralysis, Knockback,
Wounding, Electricity, Burning, Lifestealing, Instant Kill.
- Implemented the following advanced skills (not extensively
tested yet):
* Air Mastery
* Earth Mastery
* Fire Mastery
* Water Mastery
* Life Mastery
* Death Mastery
* Mental Mastery
* Planar Mastery
- The relatively useless Potions of Charisma and Blindness
replaced with Potions of Restore Magic and Poison that I needed
for the Alchemy skill. Also implemented the Poisoning and Restore
Magic spells to make the potions work. The Potions of Charisma and
Blindness will be back once I decide on a way to increase the
number of potion types without breaking savefile compatibility
(there are several possible ways of doing it, but they all have
some drawbacks).
- Other new spells:
* Animal Friendship
* Black Oblivion
* Dark Bolt
* Deadly Gaze
* Death Ray
* Deeppockets
* Detect Balance
* Great Fear
* Hold Creature
* Microburst
* Nabusian Roulette
* Nether Bolt
* Poison Dart
* Summon Mercenary
* Transfer Magic
- Updated some of the rune combination table. There are over 375
spells in the game, and more than 200 of them can now be created
with the Spellbinding skill by combining the correct runes.
- Spell finetuning:
* Brightness costs fewer SP to cast.
* The Slow spell can now be resisted (unless critical success
achieved when casting).
* The Identify spell has been beefed up a bit. By pumping up the
power level, you can now make it identify very high level objects.
* Summoning Barrier is also available as a Life spell (at a
slightly higher level than the Planar version).
- Fixed a bug in the Order spell that could cause a monster under
the "attack allies" order to attempt to attack allies outside its
melee range even when it had no ranged attacks. Of course it could
not do this and your command failed. Now a monster without ranged
attacks will only attempt to attack allies in its melee range.
- It is now possible to assign your frequently used commands to
function keys F1 - F12 in the config/config.cfg file. See the
config.cfg file to see how this is done. The basic format of the
assignment is FUNCTION_(function key name) = (key or key
combination name), e.g. "FUNCTION_F1 = A" to assign the "A"
command ("attack recent target / autotarget") to F1.
- There is a new "Training Grounds" level available to parties
that start the game in the Forge of Chaos. The only way to access
this level is to start a new game in the Forge of Chaos. (The exit
in the Master Dungeon takes you directly to the Forge dungeon, not
to the Training Grounds.) You cannot come back to the Training
Grounds once you leave the level. Explore the level and build up
your experience against the monsters. Once you think your party is
powerful enough, use the portal and enter the Forge. This change
should make the Forge a viable startup option.
- Fixed an issue with "The Path of the Priest" in the Forge of
Chaos. If a certain map contained too many randomly generated
monsters already, the monsters that you needed to complete a
specific room would not appear. I fixed this by making the number
of monsters that can be created with specific triggers higher than
the number of randomly generated monsters. So if you are stuck in
a large room with 4 adjoining smaller rooms, an unbreakable bronze
wall and no apparent way to proceed, the new version will probably
help you.
- Added some randomly placed Wands of Entangle to the Forge of
Chaos to help you in certain otherwise difficult areas. Also added
some more charges to the Wand of Entangle that is not randomly
placed. (These changes will probably not be effective if your
party has already explored the Forge of Chaos.)
- Slight changes to the skills of the advanced Neutral spellcaster
class. Some of the changes will have an effect only for characters
who have not been promoted yet.
- Fixed the "Monty Hall area" in the Master Dungeon so that clever
players can no longer all 4 doors. You have only one key, use it
wisely. (Of course you can save and reload to see what exactly is
behind each door before making your final choice.) This change
will not affect your current game if you have already visited the
relevant map.
- Fixed a moderately serious bug that caused stat-modifying
effects (like Haste, being encumbered etc.) to have a very delayed
effect on your skills. Since skills were recalculated only when
you leveled up, stat changes would have an effect only then. This
could be abused seriously and it could hamper your party. For
example, cast Haste, level up, and enjoy the benefits of increased
Speed until your next level-up. This has been fixed now: your
skill scores are recalculated every time your stats change.
- In the previous versions, if you gained a "boosting" effect
(like Angelic Bless, Flight or Invulnerability) again while
already in effect, the new duration value would simply override
and replace the previous value. Now such boosts are cumulative
instead. Up to 250 turns of duration can be "pumped up". However,
stat modifiers (like Haste or Giant Strength) are still non-
cumulative, since they can have different values. Non-boost
enchantments like Zombie Mastery, Time Stop, Teleport Resistance
are likewise non-cumulative.
- Further fixes to the semantic "not aware" bug that was
discovered earlier and partially fixed in the previous version.
The bug was causing, among other things, all pets and
insane/confused/mind-controlled creatures/characters act very
ineffectively. See bugs.txt for details.
- Being "not aware" was also affecting your resistances. Removed
this effect -- it seemed silly to me that a monster that was
virtually immune to fire would suddenly be vulnerable to fire if
it was knocked out or fell asleep. Also, this undesirable side
effect of being "not aware" made many big monsters way too easy to
kill with the newly added Black Oblivion spell.
- Fixed a signed-vs-unsigned integer bug that made certain types
of magic objects activate even when you "failed" to activate them
with the Magic Device skill.
- Ailment letters (character panels) now use different colours to
give some hints about how long the character will still be
afflicted with this ailment type. This is how the colour codes
proceed: dark red (long duration left) -> light red (medium
duration left) -> yellow (short duration left). A dark grey
ailment letter indicates that the character has been permanently
afflicted with this ailment type and it can only be removed with
magic. If a character is afflicted with several ailments that make
use of the same letter (e.g., Confusion and Daydreaming), the
longest remaining duration is used for the colour.
- Fixed a bug that made ailments like Insanity, Discordance and
Confusion "override" certain other ailments that would normally
prevent all actions. Confusion or Discordance will no longer cause
Sleeping or Dead characters to attack their teammates! (This was
pretty rare but possible.)
- Object descriptions now give much more information. They will
now show many empty slots an object has. For fully identified
objects (fully identified = both the name and the curse status are
known), all special attributes (like stat bonuses, extra damage or
activatable abilities) are also shown.
- Fixed a bug in the previous version that made it possible to
repeatedly "repair" Broken Daggers (with the spell or the newly
implemented Smithery skill). Also removed a related silly
debugging message that had been accidentally left on in the
previous version.
- Better object damage messages.
- Inventory damage now also affects non-player beings. Think twice
before you Fireball to death that enemy wizard who is carrying an
intriguing spellbook.
- Starting gear is dispensed when you start the game, not when you
create a character (in order to prevent "give away & delete"
scumming for extra gear).
- Basic ammunition is somewhat more common now and the generated
stacks are slightly larger.
- Fixed the price calculation for Magic Boxes.
- Increased the rarity of certain special monsters that are
intended to be summoned with specific spells only. Otherwise
random summoning spells could fetch them. That is less likely to
happen now.
- Removed some useless combat messages.
- Sunrise/sunset messages should no longer appear unless you are
in an outdoors environment.
- The todo.txt file was getting messy. I moved the changelog into
a new changes.txt file. "
Glad to see more progress made on this, and so soon!
