Here's the download:
http://distantages.net/forums/index.php/topic,373.0.htmlHere's the version history entry:
Version 3.0 added the following features/fixes:
- Converted the entire graphics engine to DirectX 8.
- Re-did the graphics to take advantage of semi-transparency.
- Added some new tiles.
- Made sprite 0 blank, moved the rest up one.
- Converted to time-based movement and animation, allowing for an unlocked FPS.
- Added a new GUI. (I made it. If someone *cough*seraphim*cough* wants to make something better I’ll be glad to use it.)
- Added a lighting engine based on code released by Spodi.
- Added an automatic day/night cycle. The current global ambient lighting can be altered manually for everyone in the admin panel, or temporarily and for just you in the map editor. A map’s minimum and maximum ambient light can be controlled in the map properties. (Because of a map converter hiccup (I think), all blank maps have a max light of (0,0,0). This must be raised before you can see anything on that map.)
- Added a particle effect engine, which can be used to generate effects for maps or spells. (I’m rather proud of it.)
- Fixed up the spell system.
- Added a weather engine based on the particle engine. Weather probability for each map is controlled in the map properties. Weather can be altered manually from the admin panel.
- Made the maps 8 layers (4 below player, 4 above player).
- Added the ability to put animation with any number of frames on any layer of any tile. It can cycle at a custom time, which can be different on different animation tiles on the same map. Animation tiles can be reused with a different starting frame on the same map. (The map converter didn’t do the greatest job on the old animation tiles. It made a separate animation for each tile. Those maps should be re-done to use the same animation.)
- Restructured the editors, the main menu, and the game window.
- Added a character preview to the log-in menu.
- Enlarged the actual game screen.
- The inventory has been enlarged and is now fully drag-and-drop. (Click to select, double click to use, right click to drop.)
- The equipment window will now show you the equipment of whichever character you have targeted. If you have targeted yourself, double clicking will un-equip the item.
- Added a fully drag-and-drop spell icon window. (Click to select, double click to use, right click to forget.)
- Added a “Ping” meter under the FPS meter. It reports (in milliseconds) how long it takes for data to travel from your computer to the server and then back again. (You want this to be as low a possible.)
- Stabilized the initial server connection code.
- Added a news panel to the main menu. News is transferred from the server upon initial connection.
- Added the ability to use different graphics qualities to save memory.
- Re-added HP bars and damage displays (I believe they were gone or broken in 2.6).
- Changed the music to the free works of Bjorn Lynne (showed to me by Camo). (Playing music is rather slow right now.)
- Fixed the bug where kingdom blocking didn’t work at map crossings.
- Upped the maximum speech to 50.
- Updated the screenshot buttons (F11 – game window; F12 – game screen; Print Screen – full screen).
- Added the ability to talk across map borders.
- Fixed multi-select paint for tile attributes.
- Fixed the bug that prevented shops with spells from opening.
- Added dozens of various minor features, optimizations, and bug fixes.
The new graphics engine has opened a lot of doors. Below are some features based on that engine that should be coming soon:
- Screen scaling
- Full-screen
- More light types
- Dynamic shadows
- Drag-and-drop map arrangement
- Moving weather systems
- Mini-map
- DirectX for music, sound effects, and input
Here are some comparisons between 2.6 and 3.0 on my main computer:
~ Filesize ~
Total (uncompressed)
2.6 - 57.3 MB
3.0 - 20.1 MB
Total (compressed)
2.6 - 9.46 MB
3.0 - 12.6 MB
Graphics Files
2.6 - 39.5 MB
3.0 - 10.0 MB
EXE
2.6 - 10.5 MB
3.0 - 3.11 MB
~ Approx. Memory Usage ~
2.6 – 149 MB
3.0 32bit GFX – 137 MB
3.0 16bit GFX – 78 MB
3.0 Low Compression GFX – 49 MB
3.0 High Compression GFX – 35 MB
~ Approx. Average Unlocked FPS on Map 1 ~
2.6 – 122
3.0 – 475
