Given how long it has been since the last update, many might assume that perhaps I vanished into the Infinitum, or became lost in time and space. But, nay, I am still on this mortal plane, and, as some might say, "back in business" and "so back". Furthermore, as TF2 might attest to, 'tis the season for resurrecting things from the grave. Therefore, I am proud to announce that Icebound 2.0 has been released! While not exactly a remaster, it revamps the entire interface and changes some game mechanics and even character graphics. If you experience any problems or issues with the game, let me know so that they can be addressed. The game is currently half-off for the Winter Sale as well!
It still does not have the long-awaited voice acting, but that is currently in development. In the interest of getting it to people as soon as possible, it may be releasing in stages. Furthermore, DRM-free versions will be rolling out to those who have the game on the Humble Store.
Full changelog
(Contains minor spoilers for names)
This patch institutes a full redesign of the game's interface. The game is now a 64-bit program and is no longer Windows XP-compatible. It is a modernization of the game incorporating things I've learned since release, while fixing a few long-unaddressed bugs.
Gameplay changes
- Notoriety changed to Alignment and simplified into a single meter
- Added "neutral" option to alchemy puzzles that does not change alignment. Now, you only have to gain Order or Chaos if you wish to do so.
- Prevent tutorial from re-appearing if you choose to repeat the first puzzle on a second playthrough
UI changes
- Complete Main Menu and dossier graphical revamp. New unlockable backgrounds added to Main Menu upon game completion.
- The game now has an option to change to a dyslexia-friendly font for accessibility purposes.
- Added text history, achievement progress, and "about" screens.
- Choice menu now adjusts in size depending on number of choices and has new buttons.
- Consolidated settings screen for better usability, new settings added including font changer
- Consolidated and updated help screen
- Save file names now show the ingame day
- Reduced text size of alert prompt screen and dossier text for better readability
- Slight opacity reduction of text box and text box faces now slide in/out
- Added tooltips for quick menu and adjusted opacity
- Updated text skipping indicator
- Stat screen descriptions now appear in the same window
- Removed defunct link in Web Links
- Cursor size increased by 25%
- Quit to desktop option added to ingame menu
Graphical changes
- Isaac's face was redrawn, and now matches the cutscene version. This is closer to my original conception of his appearance.
- Fei's head was redrawn. It is now also identical to the cutscene version, and is much more scar-- I mean, cuddly.
- Vastly improved several animal sprites - Yoreya, Bessie, Nibbles. The former was just the original sprite artist not being great at drawing animals, while the latter couple were design decisions I wanted to change to something more fitting for the Icebound universe.
- Modified Nibbles cutscene and Farm background to reflect design changes
- Lamia's disguise sprites redone to better match art style
- Taro dreamworld silhouette adjusted
- Golden Knight calling card improved
- Dougal's glowing eyes in nighttime animated
- Lamia's blushing animated
- Fei breakdown scene moved in-engine
- Salamandra core FX added
- Added alchemy FX in certain scenes
- Final puzzle intro improved
- "How to Perform Alchemy" tutorial now has textboxes instead of static images
- Credits sequence now scrolls, was added to "Extras" to be played at any time
Dossier changes
- 20 new lore entries added, unlocked at their appropriate points in the story.
- Devia: Moonglow, Abydos, The Cataclysm.
- Ferans: Demon's Curse, Dreamworld.
- Alchemy: Alchemy Kit, Insubstantiation, Resurrection.
- Ancients: Homunculi, Forbidden Style, The Ark, The Azoth, The Tale of Two Beasts.
- Empire: Story of Megistus, Empress Meridia, Clockwork Armor, The Clockwork War, The S.R.D.
- Council: Felkriegs, The Feran Way.
- Elementals lore entry rewritten
Bug fixes
- Fixed bug that mis-counted points on an Order choice
- Fixed bug where some characters would not appear dark at nighttime
- Fixed alignment of Music Room entries that broke in a prior patch
Other announcements
There are multiple other announcements I would like to reveal as well.
Icebound novel
My debut novel, Icebound: Usurper of the Unseen, is currently nearing completion. This action-packed prequel follows Dougal before his accident and subsequent memory loss. A greenhorn recruit to the Imperial military, due to his unique abilities, he is assigned to be the bodyguard of Rann, a feran alchemist who has betrayed her people for unknown reasons. He teams up with Celine, a noble who abandoned a life of safety and prestige for the battlefield, and Gregory, a scholar who desperately wants to be off it.
Assigned to an impossible mission to attack a heavily defended feran city, their only hope lies in a power that Dougal discovers. But, this forbidden fire can scorch his friends just as easily as his enemies... will it simply be his undoing?
Subsequent games
Selenon Rising Episode 3 and 4 are still planned for release, and now one of my highest priorities. However, I am also nearly complete with an additional unannounced game. This game, set in a completely new fantasy universe, will also release on Steam. It is a dating sim - yes, that's right, and not the pure visual novel kind. The story revolves around a knight who is sent to destroy a village populated by those who are... not quite human. When he ends up wounded and mysteriously teleported there instead, he realizes his orders were not at all accurate. But, the rest of his continent are soon to arrive there... can he recover his strength in time?
Further (but hopefully not too far) into the future, I plan to put this knowledge to use with another dating sim of the gothic horror variety.