NEO Scavenger News

Happy New Year everybody! It's been a long hiatus as I work on the mobile version, but one bug fix was important enough to back-port to the old desktop version.

I've just finished uploading new test build 1.15, which includes a fix for the autosave feature.


The Best Worst New Feature Ever

The build is available to anyone who owns the game at bluebottlegames.com and Steam.

To access the test build on the official site, simply visit the game page, and click any of the download links below the usual Windows, Mac, and Linux buttons (look for a red "Test" button).

Steam users can access the test build by opting into the beta for it.

Updates Included in the Test Build

Test build 1.15 includes only one thing:

• Fixed a bug that caused misplaced/missing items and camps when autosave is enabled.
  

As many of you know, autosave had a tendency to cause weirdness when enabled, especially in longer games. One such problem was campsites and items getting misplaced or disappearing. This was due to a bug in the save game code when more than one creature was in the player's hex (and therefore caused havoc during battles).

Fortunately, while porting NEO Scavenger to mobile, I was able to find and fix this issue. And while someday, I'd like to use the new mobile (Haxe-based )engine to replace the current (Flash-based) engine, this should hopefully bridge the gap until then.

Is it now safe to use autosave? Hard to say. This bug might've been causing the other issues, too. It should definitely be safer. I wasn't able to cause any autosave corruption, but I only tested a few hours of play.

The likelihood that this version of NEO Scavenger will work with previous saves is: likely.
As usual, the older the save game version, the less likely it is to work.

As always, let me know what you think of the changes, and if you notice any issues with the new build!

Hey Folks!

Do you want to win a free Steam copy of NEO Scavenger? Well, you're in luck! Until October 21st, Herblin is hosting a giveaway of 5 Steam keys on his YouTube channel, and it includes a chance for you to leave your mark on the upcoming space prototype!

Check out the video for complete rules and explanation:


All this could be yours...

Good luck, and I can't wait to see some of your entries!

NEO Scavenger is now officially updated to v1.14! Since the test builds have been relatively stable, I've just finished updating the default builds to 1.14 on all sites. The "test" links are no longer necessary, and have been removed for now.

This updates the following builds:

• Flash version on the official site
  
• Downloadable versions on official site
  
• Steam default builds
  
• DRM-free downloads at Humble Bundle (pending approval), GOG (pending approval), ShinyLoot (pending approval), and IndieGameStand

New changes include:

• Added optional autosave feature to save game at the beginning of each new turn.
  
• Added ability to choose whether encounter map labels appear on minimap by adding =0 or =1 at end of data. If missing, assumes minimap label added.
  
• Changed crowded map labels near DMC gates to be invisible on minimap, so only gates visible.
  
• Fixed a bug that allowed communal barrel fires to be destroyed in extinguished fire recipe.
  
• Fixed a bug in loading screen that prevented log from being added to clipboard if error in XML file.
  
• Fixed a bug that misreported 0.0 charges on charged encounter items.
  
• Fixed several null pointer bugs when loading save file that included content missing from currently-installed mods.
  
• Fixed a null pointer bug if game tried to load recipe scrap for missing recipe.
  

The big change here is the new autosave feature. It'll try to save the game at the beginning of each turn so your progress is not lost in the event of a power outage, crash, or other event. It is enabled by default, and can be disabled on the options screen. Note that permadeath is still active, and your save will be deleted if your character dies.

Also, some modding enhancements made their way into this build. The loading screen logs should now be fixed in the event of bad XML format. And minimap labels can now be controlled by modders. An =0 means no label, while =1 means a label is added to the map. Default assumes a label is added.

Finally, the number of charges in an encounter item are now correctly reported, among some other null pointer fixes.

As always, if there are any issues with the new build, let me know on the forums!

Good news, everyone! NEO Scavenger debuts on the Humble Store as part of their Build Your Own Survival Bundle!



NEO Scavenger is currently -55% on the store. But if you add more titles to your Survival Bundle, you can get up to 70% off the full price! So if your survival collection was feeling a bit...emaciated, head on over, because time is running out!

I've just finished uploading new test build 1.14, which includes a new autosave feature, new modding map label feature, and several bug fixes.


Take that, power outages!

The build is available to anyone who owns the game at bluebottlegames.com, or on Desura and Steam. Desura (and therefore, Groupees) users can use Desura Connect to gain access here, or even get their Steam keys and try it on Steam.

To access the test build on the official site, simply visit the game page, and click any of the download links below the usual Windows, Mac, and Linux buttons (look for a red "Test" button).

Steam users can access the test build by opting into the beta for it.

Updates Included in the Test Build

Test build 1.14 includes the following changes:

• Added optional autosave feature to save game at the beginning of each new turn.
  
• Added ability to choose whether encounter map labels appear on minimap by adding =0 or =1 at end of data. If missing, assumes minimap label added.
  
• Changed crowded map labels near DMC gates to be invisible on minimap, so only gates visible.
  
• Fixed a bug that allowed communal barrel fires to be destroyed in extinguished fire recipe.
  
• Fixed a bug in loading screen that prevented log from being added to clipboard if error in XML file.
  
• Fixed a bug that misreported 0.0 charges on charged encounter items.
  
• Fixed several null pointer bugs when loading save file that included content missing from currently-installed mods.
  
• Fixed a null pointer bug if game tried to load recipe scrap for missing recipe.
  

The big change here is the new autosave feature. It'll try to save the game at the beginning of each turn so your progress is not lost in the event of a power outage, crash, or other event. It is enabled by default, and can be disabled on the options screen. Note that permadeath is still active, and your save will be deleted if your character dies.

Also, some modding enhancements made their way into this build. The loading screen logs should now be fixed in the event of bad XML format. And minimap labels can now be controlled by modders. An =0 means no label, while =1 means a label is added to the map. Default assumes a label is added.

Finally, the number of charges in an encounter item are now correctly reported, among some other null pointer fixes.

The likelihood that this version of NEO Scavenger will work with previous saves is: likely.
As usual, the older the save game version, the less likely it is to work.

As always, let me know what you think of the changes, and if you notice any issues with the new build!