Hey guys! Coming at you today with a new build of Shield Cat! This one doesn't really add much in terms of new content, but it does have quite a few important fixes and improvements. Specifically, if you had trouble with input devices on Linux (especially remapping controllers) please try this build and let me know if it works now.
As always, the patch notes are below here:
===== NEW =====
- More collectibles have been added to existing stages. If you had 100% collectibles in some stages and now you don't, it's not a bug!
- There are new Hexagons to collect! Grabbing them all within the given time will get you something nice...
- Some Fish Scales have learned how to camouflage themselves. You'll have to keep an eye out for these crafty collectibles.
- A new XInput display option has been added for generic/non-console specific graphics.
- A new Retro Preset has been added that reduces the colors significantly for that vintage console feel.
- A new song has been added to most of the small caves in the game.
- There are small enemy crabs on the beach now! You can target their weakpoint for a little damage.
===== IMPROVED =====
- Bumpers are now larger and easier to see and interact with.
- Social Media links have now all been organized into a submenu, as well as with new links to additional social media.
- The Debug Overlay (with F10) has been improved significantly.
- Color blending has been adjusted throughout the game.
- Adjusted some drawing routines to hopefully be more efficient.
- The River Challenge now has a custom palette when using the retro shaders.
- It is now better conveyed when you find a secret spot.
- Music handling has been improved when going between different screens. It will no longer cut off awkwardly as it did in certain scenarios (hopefully.)
- Music has also been adjusted and re-looped, which should remove fading issues as well as intro pops that sometimes occur.
- The Performance Information that used to draw on the bottom of the screen has switched to a different display with graphs on it.
- Updated the game's copy of the SDL Gamepad Database. I've written a script that keeps it updated so the game should now just come with the latest version at the time I put the build out.
- The game's app icon for the Steam page has been updated.
===== CHANGED =====
- Removed the hitstop effect when breaking open a Mystery Orb.
- Changed the drawing of the animation when getting a treasure from a Mystery Orb. Now it wont suddenly light up the screen when getting a treasure in a dark place.
- The functionality of the Escape key on keyboards has been changed. It will now open the pause menu, unless there's already a menu or something open, in which case it will bring you out of it.
- The "Escape" key continues to be a special key, however, and cannot be remapped.
- A warning message has been added if you attempt to open the speedrun options on the New Game menu without ever having played Shield Cat before, to discourage you from doing this.
- A similar message was added if you attempt to turn up the difficulty on a New Game without ever having played the game before.
- Lance will now always pick up bombs, whether or not he can actually use them (the amount he can hold is still capped at 10.)
===== BUG FIXES =====
- Fixed a bug where you could open the Notes panel while getting an item from a Mystery Orb.
- Fixed a bug where the Debug Overlay could be accessed if you hadn't opted into it properly.
- Fixed a bug where the graphics auto-adjust would not adjust to the lowest possible preset, nor engage 30fps mode when the performance target still isn't being met.
- Fixed a potential memory leak when going between stages.
- Fixed a bug where map boundaries wouldn't be drawn on certain parts of the map.
- Fixed a bug where the Notes pane would sometimes draw text offscreen in certain graphics configurations.
- Fixed some bugs with Retro text rendering (still needs some work but unsure what to do with it at this time.)
- Fixed a bug where enemies wouldn't spawn right in higher difficulties. Now a big raven will come and attack Lance when he steps out of his house, as intended.
- Fixed a bug where Lance's reflection would draw very very very slightly on the grass (I bet nobody ever noticed it.)
- Fixed a bug where you couldn't move the map on the map screen all the way right or down.
- Fixed some screens not having echo when they should have it.
- Fixed a bug where analog inputs were too sensitive on the input remapping screen, only requiring a light tilt to register. Now, you have to tilt it pretty far to get it to register.
- Removed dialogue from a sign that says you can double-tap to run as, while this is true, the functionality is now disabled by default.
- Fixed a bug where Willow would show the wrong message for starting a new game.
- Fixed a sequence break where the player could obtain a key and use it on the wrong door in the forest path to get out of bounds easily (The area is still unfinish, but now you are blocked from exploring it, sorry.)
===== NOTES =====
- I've added a subsystem that allows the game to ignore input on specified analog axes, with the default having it ignore axis 5 and 6 (shown internally as 3A and 3B) to attempt to solve issues with the game reading analog input off the gamepad triggers when in a resting state.
- What this means in layman's terms is that, in Linux, you shouldn't have any issues using the input remapper anymore.
- You can use F10 and go to the Input tab to configure this, though most likely you shouldn't have to do this. Please hit me up if you have more input issues, especially in Linux.
Thank you!
Thank you to the following supporters and everyone who makes this possible!
@buny, ARKYmouse, Ahty, Alex Stenzel, Shadow8t4, Alicia Goranson, Arron Savage, Barbara Fregia, BenTheDragon, Bizarre Machinist, David Wolfpaw, Caliburn Absolute, Circlingnugget, Clover Arizona, DarkJoule, Vix-N, DimSumthing, Dizmus, Sweep Dreams, EZGames69, Cloud Hop, EveryZig314, Fao, FaultBat, Flake, FoxyDude, Nutalie Frost, Galuade, Gri, Goronhead, Holly 'Frinkel' Lotor, JD Laclede, Jack O'Connor, Jammy, Jennifer, Joanna Jones, Johann Pfaffinger, Jyrki, Kaylex Deer, Hulex Fox, Kirbizard, Kohaku Katou, Krazinsky, Trash, LF, Legiayayana, Leo Gera, Lorxus, Lulla, Luna, Luna Hyena, Luna Moona the Little Kahuna, phantomsqueaks, Mark Cope, Marlyn, Mello the Ferret, OrobaSpyro, Nenekiri Bookwyrm, Axel Husky, NovaSquirrel, Nuck, Philip Garzieri, Raegal Boggart, RawrParty, Vinyl, Roger Tyranny, Ryunohito, Cam D'Arcy, Saxxon Fox, Scylla-Leeezard, Ansel Geisel, Snout, Spyduck, SplotchDoggo, Spoony Doodle, Carlis A. Moore., Stitch The626th, Swirlate, Tala Cuthbert, Tarah Tamayo, Tarocco, Tarsus Endri, Tenma-arekussu, Touku, Upscale Furry Trash, DJ Otters, Vectrobe, Vivee, William 'Kenku' Swiftfoot, Wulfy, Xkeeper, breakthetargets, caseJackal, Kazy, khr, meerm, megaRammy, morgan `indrora` gangwere, raine, rainedoe, Foxxhoria, ubuntor, sol
I think I said before that I wanted Julie to be in the next build, and she's almost done! But I wanted to get these improvements out there because some of them are really important. You'll be able to see Julie soon though!