Game updates/2017-05-11
Contents
Update Notes: May 11, 2017
Changes and fixes for the May 9 graphical update
This update contains changes and fixes for the May 9 graphical update to Serbule, including everything from crashing bugs to slimy tigers. Not all crashing bugs are fixed, but many of the changes here will help us get better data so we can debug other problems.
We are still working hard on crash reports – we want to get everyone who is affected back in the game! Plus, we need to get it all worked out before we update the graphics in other zones. So please test out this update, try all the work-arounds, and send us your crash logs! (The thread "PROJECT: GORGON SUPPORT - TROUBLESHOOTING - READ FIRST!" in the Support & Suggestions section of the forum is great place to start!)
(Sorry, Mac users – there's no fixes in here specifically for you, but some of the changes may help anyway.)
Making "safe mode" a little safer: when you start the game in safe mode from the launcher, the "auto-adjust quality" option is disabled. (The check-box in the configuration screen is ignored until your next restart). Sky reflection probes are now disabled in "Fantastic" quality level, as well as all others, because very few computers can handle generating them. But if you have a beast of a machine you can still enable the setting manually, and results are very nice, especially at night. We may add an "Ultra" quality level in the future with this feature active. Since sky reflection probes are disabled by default, we changed the reflection-probe refresh rate from once every 10 seconds to once per second. This is much more expensive, but it gives a consistent framerate hit instead of causing "hiccups" every ten seconds. You can change this rate in the Special Settings tab. If you don't mind an occasional framerate hiccup, try "ReflectionProbeFPS=0.01".
High-quality water algorithms are now disabled for ALL graphics levels. This is because they crash on some machines. However, they are not really that expensive and they make the water look much better - so if you have a powerful machine, change the Water Quality graphics override to 4. And if it crashes after that, turn it back down. The advanced graphics option "Camera Far Clip Plane" now does nothing in Serbule. Serbule is using a different system. However, this option still works in other areas for now.
Other Serbule fixes:
- Serbule's map has been made more usable. Not pretty, but more usable. Serbule's landscape is still a work in progress and so this is just a temporary map.
- Night sky is brighter. It is too bright on some devices ... but this is still a work in progress because it looks different on every video card.
- The early morning sun's rays are slightly less blinding. (But still bright, because morning suns are bright.)
- Removed "night time slime" from some monsters such as bears and tigers.
- Removed foliage and exposed dirt in Serbule keep's shop stall area.
- Restored collision physics to Serbule barn.
- Restored collision physics to the building near the Serbule docks.
- Fixed physics of the sides of stairs in Serbule buildings.
- Fixed various other building glitches. Not all of them have been fixed, and most likely not all of them have been found yet, so keep those reports coming!
- The windmill in Serbule turns again!
Brewing:
Brianna Willer's favor quests were given out by Tadion the blacksmith instead, and gave favor with him. If you have not yet turned in the favor, you will need to re-get it from Brianna. If you already completed it, it can't be completed again, but Tadion did give out the correct non-favor rewards anyway (mostly hops for brewing). Casks of potato vodka and applejack take 1 hour to ferment, not 1 minute. (That was supposed to be for internal testing only!) Barley would let you harvest it multiple times. On the down side, it would never give new barley seeds. Both of these have been fixed.
Hiral in Sun Vale still sells Pixie Sugar and Sugarcane Seeds as a sort of "emergency backup" if you can't find any, but he's now realized that he can charge WAY more for these emergency items, and has multiplied the price.
Kegs of beer can no longer be used forever.
The "reuse beer keg" recipe now returns a firkin, not a kilderkin.