[Neolithic]To the End News

Hi, everyone. Welcome to another week's developer's diary.

It's quite unfortunate that I have to fly to the southwest corner of China to solve a lawsuit as someone's defendant lawyer this week. Thus, the development is hindered.

It's a place near Ruili, the infamous COVID-19 quarantine town. The good news is, I didn't need to go in there. Otherwise, they will likely not allow me to get back so soon.

Anyway, let's go back to see what we have this week.
First, a dynamic enemy group system has been developed so that most enemies will have their battle group matches exactly what they display on the map. For example, if you were surrounded by three zombies on the map when the battle begins, you will see exactly three zombies you will fight in the battle with their types also matches what they are on the map.
Thus, it may provide some tactical options to decide how many enemies you want to bring into one fight. Planning AOE skills and magic items accordingly, you may systemically clear an area match more effectively or strategically divide and conquer the obstacles you are facing by luring some of them away and taking them out one by one.

However, it's not always necessary to fight all the enemies.
Thus, here comes the second part. The ghost sheet.
It's a clothing item that can disguise you into a ghost-looking character so that any hostile ghost-type enemies in the area may be confused and will not attack you. It's pretty much just like the zombie disguise clothes we have before. The ghost sheet is its counterpart for safely going through any areas that are infested by hostile ghosts. The clothes may also have different prefixes to make each of them somewhat unique.

Of course, not all ghosts are hostile. A new type of ghost has been added to the game. They are just lost, wandering around without purpose with no intention to unleash their wraith against the living. As they are relatively friendly, they can be turned into allies with little effort. You may also just hunt them down to get some additional loots. Just beware, their hostile versions may join the battle as well if they have detected you.

Other relatively small changes include new story content of a certain NPC if he survived the event of the Unfinished Building; System improvements and optimizations; Life of quality improvements of using cheat codes; new item drop list for ghost enemies.

That's for this week.
The development is delayed. But, the early access date will not change. It's an important day for someone. I may go down to more details about the release plan in next week's diary.

Today's changelog:
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Added a new type of non-hostile ghost. They are weaker, but much easier to turn into pets.
They have the same drop list as the vengeful sprites.
Other hostile ghosts that have detected you may join the battle if you attack non-hostile ghosts.
Slime enemies have been updated to using the new dynamic enemy group mechanism.
The vendor on the 2nd floor of Ardham Hotel now also sells Ghost Sheets at a very high price.
#########System#####################
Added more precious control over dynamic shop item price. It now also check item types instead of just item id.

English
#########Content#################
New item: Ghost Sheet (You can use it disguise as a ghost so that hostile ghosts may be confused and will not attack you. They can still detect you or join a battle if your disguise is busted.)
It can have random prefixes.
Added an item drop list for Vengenful Sprites. The list includes Ghost Sheet, Stopped Clock, Photo of Loved One, Ectoplasm.
#########System#####################
Added another item drop subsystem which provides better control over the chance on the item drop list. All previous existing drop lists are not affected.
简体中文
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新物品：幽灵床单（装备后可以用来伪装成幽灵，敌意的幽灵实体将不会攻击你。但是他们依然可以发现你，并且在你进入战斗时一并加入。）
该物品可能包含前缀
给复仇怨灵加入了物品掉落表。包括：幽灵床单，停滞的秒表，所爱之人的照片，灵质。
#########System#####################
加入了一个新的物品掉落子系统，可以更好的控制概率。但是此前已经存在的物品掉落列表不受影响。

I will fly to Yunnan early tomorrow morning to solve a lawsuit as the defendant's lawyer. There will be no access to the development machine and VPN during this period of time. Thus, the development will be templorily paused till I get back. That shall be no later than Friday. Thus, the developer's diary for this week will not be affected.
明天一清早我将飞往云南作为被告代理律师处理一个案件。期间将无法使用开发用的电脑，估计也无法使用VPN。因此开发将会暂时停止直到我回来。预计会在周五之前返回，因此本周的开发日志不会受到影响。


English
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New item: An Investigator's Guide of Firearm (A book that provides Firearm weapon proficiency Exp.)
If the crazed investigator survived in the Unfinished Building, you can find him appear in "This Is a Bar" later with a short conversation and a gift.
The cheat code "Gain Skill" and "Gain Item" will now list the skill/item's localized name instead of previously localization keys so that those cheat codes are more user-friendly.
Updated the crazed workers in the Unfinished Building to use the new dynamic enemy group mechanism.
#########System#####################
If prefix number equals the total possible prefix types, the prefix will always be received by order. (The name will be in reversed order as each prefix will be added ahead of the previous one.)
简体中文
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新物品：调查员的枪械使用手册（一本能够增加枪械武器熟练度经验值的书籍）
如果发狂的调查员在未完之建筑的事件中幸存，那么之后你能在“这是间酒吧”里找到他，有一段简短的对话和一份礼物。
作弊码"Gain Skill"和"Gain Item"调出的菜单中所列出的技能和物品现在会使用本地化的名称，以便让这些作弊码的使用上有更好的体验。
现在未完之建筑里的发狂的工人也会遵循反映地图上实际探察到主角队伍的敌人数量动态组成敌人队伍的机制。
#########System#####################
如果生成物品时前缀数量和可能的前缀种类数量相同，则顺序现在将会依据前缀数组排列。（名称会是逆序，因为每个前缀会出现在上一个前缀之前。）

English
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New skill: Unliving Brust (Heal undead, damage others. It can be learned from Kalina. You can use it on both friends and foes. Shade creatures are not undead. Thus, they will be damaged.)
Added a warning board in the path to Queensmouth mountain area. (It's just there for irony and a Monty Python reference)
Corrupted robots will now try to coordinate their attacks together if multiple numbers of those robots have detected your group.
The same mechanism has been applied to the shade and vengeful sprites.
Different types of zombies may team up together to attack you if all of them have detected you and they are nearby. (The zombie enemy group is now exactly as what you can see on the map.)
If any group member is bleeding, vampiric researchers from a bit far away distance can also join the battle if they have already detected you.
New BGM for the area outside the safehouse.
Random meteors may hit the area outside the safehouse. (Just visual effects.)
Added the background music of Museum of Weird History "China Town" and the background music of Bazaar "Arabian Market" to boombox's default soundtrack.
#########System#####################
Improved the ability to get window hwnd more preciously.
Added function support to add modification script blocks to build-in skills
When calculating skill effects, a deep copy will be made. (Previously, it already has another deep copy if using skill normally. But, we live in an abnormal world now.)
Optimized the mouse control in some selection windows that can scroll up and down. Class: Window_Commandlimitwin
########DEBUG###################
Fixed bugs related to the game failed to get the right HWND including fail to initialize the mouse if the game is minimized during startup.
Fixed a visual bug of a chest in Site Demeter. (Thanks to 渺羽's bug report)
简体中文
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新技能：逆生命爆发（治疗不死生物，对其它目标造成伤害。可以在卡莉娜那里学习。可以对敌我任意目标使用。暗影生物并非不死生物，所以会受到伤害。）
在王后镇通往深山的道路上架设了一块警告牌。（只是用作讽刺目的，以及玩某个蒙蒂派森的梗）
被侵蚀的机器人现在也会尝试协同发动攻击，如果有多个这样的机器人发现了你的队伍的话。
暗影和复仇怨灵现在也采用相同的机制。
不同种类的僵尸会合力攻击你，如果他们都发现了你并且都在你附近的话。（僵尸的团队构成现在和地图上显示的一致。）
如果队伍中有任何人正在流血，那么较远处的嗜血的研究员如果已经发现了你的队伍，他们也会加入战斗。
安全屋外区域加入了新的背景音乐。
安全屋外的区域现在可以有随机的陨石砸下来。（只是画面效果。）
将奇异历史博物馆的背景音乐“中华小镇”和巴扎的背景音乐“阿拉伯市场”加入到了音乐盒的默认音轨中。
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增强了更精确地获取窗口的hwnd的能力
加入了对于内置技能上附加脚本代码块的功能支持。
当计算技能效果的时候，该技能的一个深度拷贝将会被使用。（此前如果技能正常使用的话已经有一个深度拷贝。但是，我们现在生活在一个不正常的世界。）
优化了鼠标在可以上下翻页的选项窗口中的使用体验。Class: Window_Commandlimitwin
########DEBUG###################
修复了和游戏未能正确获取HWND的一些BUG，包括了如果游戏开始时游戏窗口不在激活状态可能导致的鼠标初始化失败。
修复了德米特基地的一个箱子的图像错误。（感谢渺羽提供的Bug报告）

Hi everyone, welcome to another week's developer's diary.

There is a big gap between content updates during this week. That's because I decided to work on some time-consuming story content that involves making quite a few art assets. It's about a new character and the veil.

Actually, I'm not so sure about how to put it in the diary without spoiling it.
But, the story of the veil involves a long history of humanity with a diverse point between the world we live in and the world in the game. From the 19th century to World Wars. From the Cold War to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Eventually, it shall explain why the world looks like just it is right now.
A world with anime 2D people walking on the street in an anime-like environment while their more realistic version appears in battle. It's now officially part of the story.

Would any people born in such a world feel strange and inconsistent?
No, they would never have any chance to learn anything differently.
How the world really looks like is now a distant memory to the few of us who still remember.
It's the new "normal" resulting from an ambitious project involving multiple secret organizations.
Some consider it as salvation, others view it as a tool of enslavement.
Malicious entities are watching, they may even try to silence this dairy itself.
Thus, it has to be encoded from their eyes, for the text screaming for
"Jht Yeeqt Uaeemaad bf Shxfn."
It has to be encrypted in this way to avoid unwanted attention as they are out there watching everything. Her name is the key to revealing this chapter of this story.

A wise man once said,
those who would give up essential Liberty,
to purchase a little temporary Safety,
deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

Would it be too late now?

In addition to the mysterious story content mentioned above, we now also have the ability to edit any maps that exist in the game. Even though the consequence may be unknown and unstable. I still think everyone shall have the freedom to shape a world of their own.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

That's for this week.
During the next two weeks, I will be in a lot of traveling to solve multiple lawsuits all over China.
Thus, the development may slow down. However, I think I will still come back in time to talk about the release plan of this game into the Early Access and something I planned ahead of us.

Today's changelog:
#########Content#################
Added a new story in the safehouse with a small cutscene. It has a higher priority trigger than the distress signal from Siberia. Thus, new players will get this story first.
After that, you can find a new NPC outside the safehouse with more story content.
A document about the veil has been added.
She can also teach magic skills. (The price is different from other instructors.)
Ice Seal is now available for players to learn.
The fireball learning price in "This Is a Bar" is increased.
Map modification happened in the area outside the safehouse.
#########System#####################
Added function to allow dynamically controlled localization key in message windows. (It will likely make the code much shorter and more manageable)
Added function support to dynamically change skill learning price.