Note: If you've received Mythos on CD-ROM, you must copy the entire Mythos folder to your hard drive for it to run properly!
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Greetings, all!
For this release, I *wanted* to work on Factions and advanced combat & strategy...however, the general consensus seemed to be the background/character/monster art in Mythos absolutely sucked, and several problems in the movement & timing systems were pointed out to me as well...
Therefore, Mythos 0.9.0 plays about the same as before, though there have been a number of general-purpose enhancements & bug fixes; the bulk of effort has gone into completely redesigning the timing/movement/display routines, and the result is something that has an entirely different look-&-feel than vers 0.8.9...
if you're new to Mythos, you can mostly skip much of the following, as you won't care how things used to be...veteran players may wish to take note to see how the various changes now affect game-play:
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Possible Bugs:
Since this is the first release of the new display system, I can't guarantee it will work flawlessly...the problems I've been chasing down for the last few weeks involve display inaccuracies when you get "bumped" or get a little crazy with the movement keys. Since Mythos is not turn-based, both you and any critter can attempt to move into a given empty space at the same time. If the creature starts to move first and/or is faster than you, you will be "bumped" back to your original space. And, in certain circumstances, the display does not update correctly leaving the playfield offset from what is truly there (i.e. you can walk on a "wall" which is actually one space to the side). This was also happening sometimes if you mash the movement keys erratically. To fix this problem, simply move away from the affected area until it scrolls offscreen; turn around and go back, and the playfield will be correctly displayed as it scrolls back into view. However, I have been (and will continue to be) nailing down these "special case" situations, so they should be a rarity and not a serious problem...
There seems to be a rare problem with .Saved file corruption when the Avatar file gets fairly large (>1 mb). Basically, the .Saved Avatar crashes when you try to restore it. If this happens to you, please send me the affected file--so far, I've got 100% success rate for repairing & returning them. I haven't been able to isolate the cause yet, but looking at affected files helps me narrow what could be causing the problem...and will help me fix it, so don't be shy about contacting me if you encounter this!
There might be a problem with the Avatar Evolver utility; I think it's fixed, but haven't been able to test extensively enough to be sure. It only affects the Norse World on the top Floor (0), and results in some of the background art not displaying at all...If you encounter this problem, either play around it (ignore the missing background pix) or send me the file & I'll see if I can fix it
Enhancements:
Changed the background graphics to be much less tile-y:
• Tweaked/changed/replaced/added many background tiles in most Worlds
• Tweaked Floor creation routines
• Changed liquids to procedure-based graphics
• Changed background art to region-defined drawing
• Changed paradigm for Walls--now overlays instead of background art
• Tweaked/changed/replaced/added many Wall tiles in most Worlds
Finished/fixed the variable timing system
• Added "speed-up"settings to skip frames on slower machines
• Adjusted "slow-down" settings to accommodate faster machines
• Fixed bug in modifier with global lighting/timing
• Fixed time acceleration in Talk dialogs
• Fixed time acceleration in Oracles; Time still speeds up while you are in them, though not nearly as much as before
• Speed Modifier settings are now stored
• Fixed Time-in-Mythos display in Avatar Stats dialog
Changed the animation system from 4 to 8 frames. What this means to you is much smoother animation on machines that can support it
• Added new female Avatar art
• Changed male Avatar art as well
• The monsters are currently running under 4-frame animation, so their movements (if any) may appear to be jerky...Many (mostly humanoid) will be updated & replaced by next version
Steamlined movement
• Changed paradigm: You used to be able to "cancel" a move by releasing the key slightly after you began, a feature which only seemed to cause confusion. Under the new system,once a move is initiated, you can't take it back
• Turning without actually moving is now is now easier and more consistent
• Put in a buffering system to facilitate changing direction while moving (without stopping)...press and hold the key for the new direction slightly before your Avatar stops moving & he/she will make the turn & keep on cruising...
Added background music, currently consisting of randomized drumming clips...to accommodate this, there's a new file in the Mythos Dataƒ folder called "Mythos.Muzic"...
If you are standing on an Item when you Search, you are now told the name of that Item (by user request)
Created a Serial Number Forcer utility for Registered users who lose their Serial Number information
New animated graphic for Gates
Beefed-up the strength of Palace Guards
Arenas: When betting on a fight, changed the odds (from hardwired 1:1) to be based on the actual strength differences between combatants (resulting in less cash for you when a very strong monster battles a much weaker one)
Taking a Guest Room at an Inn now costs between 15-50 gps (it used to be a fixed fee of 25 gps)...
Added Vampire art for Talk dialogs (Registered versions only)
Added Skeleton board art (Registered versions only)
Added visual effects for Scroll of Shield
Updated the documentation for Overview, Avatar, Interface, Monsters, Rooms & Strategy
Tweaked Monster settings: Allegience/creation routines, movement routines, & behavior
Added Enemy Status & Specs display to scrolling monsters
Bug Fixes:
Extensive restructuring for stability; initiated several bug-hunts to clean up problem (or potential-problem) areas
Fixed crashing bug with high-level Discipline usage
Fixed crashing bug with Monster behavior change
Fixed crashing bug if you die of starvation while wearing the Ring of Regeneration...but only sometimes!
Fixed bug with Potion of Progression
Fixed bug with High-Score display
Fixed display bug with Scroll of Light
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Full documentation is available at:
http://www.midgard.com
Enjoy!
-Geoffrey
*** Legal Stuff ***
I'm not a lawyer (nor do I play one on TV), and I hate having to pay the one I've got...so here's the deal: Locked versions of Mythos may be freely distributed anywhere, so long as all files, notes, & utilities are included.
For the inquisitive, all picts & sounds are stored as easily-accesible resources...you can modify, alter or do anything you want to with your copy, but please DO NOT distribute altered versions of Mythos...if you come up with kewl animations or sounds, contact me at geoffrey@midgard.com about their inclusion into the official releases.
Registered versions assign unique Unlock codes to single individuals/family units only. This means that YOU (and family, friends, etc.) are entitled to use YOUR SINGLE REGISTERED COPY of Mythos on a SINGLE MACHINE. Simply put:
*you MAY NOT distribute Unlocked (Registered) versions of Mythos IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM*
...I truly hope this last point is crystal-clear...I'd really hate to have to resort to spelling it all out in hard-core legalese as I file a lawsuit, y'know...?
