http://www.starlessumbra.com/ Keep yourself up-to-date on the amateur RPG, Starless Umbra. English http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=5069

Complexity: RPG Maker is not object-oriented. That means the work to implement one character or enemy would have to be copied and pasted, then modified, to add additional characters. This is a huge, error-prone overhead I was never happy with but always found hacky workarounds for (like the footprints system). At one point I considered creating a simple stack so I could do things like recursion, faster sorting, and variable management with ease, but stack manipulation (if you've done any sort of assembly programming) is not fun. In short, even though I had planned the battle system out, complexity swallowed up the development time as I spent more time sorting through lists of variables, copying procedure calls, and less time writing fun and clever algorithms.

Speed: RPG Maker wasn't designed to handle the amount of stress I put in the custom battle system. A sorting algorithm is by no means fast, and at worst-case situations it required thousands of calculations that needed to handled relatively instantaneously for the end-user in order to not cause any sort of major input or visual delay. I was starting to see slow-downs on my high-end PC, despite all my efforts to optimize code. Without a doubt I've known RPG Maker was not able to handle some of the things I've developed, but when it gets to the point where a core component of the game could outcast, say, half of my fan-base that doesn't have a faster-end computers, I need to do something.

Age. RPG Maker 2003 is going to be ten years old. Starless Umbra is ten years old in December. I'm using terribly obsolete software. Not only am I fixed to a single platform (Windows), but gaming is now on an array of platforms, and even Windows support is dwindling. On my Radeon 6970 graphics card, the screen periodically flashes black in full-screen. 320x240 resolution is awesome, but it's not supported by very many monitors. (When's the last time you've seen a 4:3 aspect ratio monitor, by the way?)

I burned myself out and stopped working on the game. From there I went on to doing some Java programming just to see what it was like. Despite being a programmer with a strong passion for game development, I've not done a lot of "real" game programming (other than a game engineering in C++ class in college).

In November, Gigatron was born. Gigatron is a simple side-scrolling shooter I developed with a few friends in a few weeks. I learned a lot about rendering, network programming, interface handling, and a lot of the backend work that goes in to something like a real game. Gigatron is written in Java and is more or less complete, but the code desperately needs to be cleaned up before something seriously gets released.

After Gigatron, I realized I didn't want to do complex hacky scripting in RPG Maker. I decided to revise the default battle system with some of the ideas I had implemented for the custom system instead. For a few weeks development had resumed; however, this didn't last long for my fourth grief with RPG Maker 2003 surfaced:

There are bugs with the engine. Remember that issue where the cursor wouldn't remember the last skill you selected but instead jumped a few slots down when that character got to act again? Yep, that's a bug with RPG Maker 2003. Remember the issue where the game would suddenly crash without warning during a boss battle for some reason? That was beyond my control. What about where fonts would be squished? Or dual graphics cards caused the engine to crash? Or movement getting stuck in certain directions? None of this was within my control and I again lost motivation to continue with RPG Maker 2003.

But not all is lost! SU's future has been on my mind a lot these days. There are many paths I've considered taking now, but none of them involve canceling the project.

For one, I can write an interpreter, similar to wolfcoder's RPG Maker 20xx. The big gain here is that I'd essentially be writing my own engine that reads in all of RPG Maker's project data files and customizing it a bit to my liking. This also means something like Starless Umbra in it's current form could be played on something like an iPhone if you really wanted to.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I definitely want to do something mobile, so I'm working on a SU-related minigame in Android that employs many techniques and algorithms I can use if I decide even to write SU from scratch. Within the next month or so if I finish it, it'll be available on the Android market to enjoy and then I'll consider Starless Umbra again.

After this game, I am considering implementing the battle system first--once and for all--on a mobile device as sort of a PVP-over-wifi network battle game using all the ideas and algorithms I already developed for the custom battle system. That can easily be extended to a full-length RPG.

Well, not quite easily, as now I feel a need for more original assets: sprites, artwork, music, and so on. To make matters worse, this need is amplified by the fact that I've lost a few members of the team due to some personal issues. But hey! At least now I'll have an opportunity to really work out the dialogue kinks and boring parts of the project.

What I'm getting with this is if you'd like to help with this project, in the coming months there will definitely be opportunities. Is there compensation? Some, but not much as if I actually owned a company or something. If you want to get in on this though, let me know. If you have any other questions you guys know how to find me.

Well, if you don't by now know how to contact me...

Any specific development work for my projects gets posted to starlessumbra.tumblr.com and @StarlessUmbra on twitter.

There's also a fanbase on facebook I'm trying to expand at facebook.com/starlessumbra. Sort of hard if there's no real current product to market, but I always check up on it. If you're really inquisitive, you can find my personal facebook there. Feel free to add me.

This project is sort of becoming a testament to my devotion and passion; it will always continue to march forward, even if I've been silent. I want this to be the best it possibly can.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=5050 starless umbra on tumblr. Forums will stay, but most of my day-to-day development updates get posted there rather than here.

That also means I need to make a consistent skin. Urghh... I'll do that later. I'd rather work on SU. If anyone is css-savy and wants to make maybe $30 or so restyling this site let me know!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4994
There's still about 30% of the stickers left. I just haven't coordinated mailing any out yet.

Currently working on: target selection in the battle system]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4988 check here. Thanks!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4922
]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4882
Check out the thread for much more information.

The CCG is all being driven by Shiki with some art by kei and of course SU itself is my monster that hasn't gone away yet. If you like trading card games, give this one a go. It's a fun play!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4832
The rage feature is going away and being and split it into Aggression (AGR) and Fortitude (FOR). You can acquire a point of Aggression by dealing damage with some basic moves and Fortitude by receiving damage, up to a max of five points for each. These can be used as they are acquired for smaller perks or saved up to unleash devastating attacks. In retrospect, the rage system just wasn't engaging, useful, or balanced enough to keep. You had to save up for several battles just to get a few (buggy) buffs and abilities that if activated during a regular encounter weren't very helpful.

Speaking of battles, there will be no more default "Attack" command. Techniques will function for your base attacks, the two primary default techniques will be "Swing" and "stab." Each ability, though basic, will function differently in conjunction with the Aggression/Fortitude system, the techniques you've learned, the weapons you equip, and the enemies you face.

weapons will be re-worked a little too. The customization and variety of weapons is nice, but this is going to be taken a step further by incorporating two different weapon types for each character--Swinging and Stabbing weapons. Andoru could have pole-arms or spears, Reene Staves or Swords, Lynia Axes or Blunt-weapons, and so on. Obviously all weapons can be used for both swinging and stabbing, but maybe lances give a bonus to stabbing, while a pole-axe would give a bonus to swinging. Plus, there will be distinct sprites for each of the weapons during battle, and that always looks nice, right?

The overly-complex tech system is being replaced by a simpler, more intuitive system. Currently, I'm thinking of a simple skill learning system present in many MMORPGs. You level, get a skill point, and apply that to learning a FOR- or AGR-based technique for each of the four gem elements (ruby, sapphire, topaz, emerald). More points in a certain gem color will unlock higher tiered techniques. So far there are plans to have 80 different techniques--both passive and active--and will ultimately replace the need for a default attack command and provide several options to create your own type of character.

Players during combat receive a new stat--"focus". The gist of "focus" is that your allies have a percent chance that they are the target of the next damaging attack. Your player's "focus" is dependent on many variables, such as your health, toughness, and certain abilities--all of which are generally within your control. Ideally, you want your characters with more health and defense to gain "focus" so they generally will take more hits for your spellcasters.

There's now going to be a shift from three essence slots to just one. Having more slots for gear (like shields!) is something I'd like to have. How would tiered spells work then? One idea might include having essence spell "Levels." When you acquire a fire essence, you can increase its damage by leveling it up to its max level. When you visit towns, you would unlock a higher max level by visiting an Essence Capacity NPC in towns and doing a one-time capacity enhancement for a small fee. For example, at the start perhaps you equip a Fire essence. After a few battles you level "Flame" to level 1 and it is now not only usable, but "maxed". After visiting NPCs in later towns, you'd upgrade the capacity to level two and anyone could equip that essence and learn Flame level 2, provided they first learned flame level 1. Levels would still be character-specific, as they are now, but this will eliminate skills from becoming obsolete. Learning spells will also no longer be based on battles won but a new currency from battles called "Essence Shards". Later battles yield more shards, so it would be faster to catch up on low-level spells if you've skipped them.

The new grid/formation system allows players to move around during battle once per turn before their action. Players are arranged in one 3x3 grid (customizable) and Enemies are arranged in another 3x3 grid. Standing in different tiles may give certain perks, such as added damage or defense. Certain attacks will affect areas on the grid so it will be important to be wary, plan, and react accordingly to things like traps and tile effects for both you and your enemies. ]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4810
Stickers!

If you have ordered some, I've sent out the first batch. You can order more too.

(I'll be on twitter lots! and I'll bring laptop if I feel like working on SU, haha)

EDIT: you've probably seen 'em but I included the latest picture because the one on the order form is old!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4788
I was going to wait until I finished to implement all these cool ideas I've had, but I decided after being unhappy with some of the older content (again) it was time to revise it.

So you might have heard, SU is getting another radical transformation. I don't want to wait and implement this all at once so I'm re-releasing all of the chapters again one-by-one. The bad news is that means my next release will just be the prologue/teaser, but the good news is that release will be much better than before, and subsequent releases will come fairly rapidly, as they are already *mostly* developed.

Here's a quick timeline of releases I have in mind:

Prologue (July/Aug 2011)

Chapter 1 (Sept/Oct 2011)

Chapter 2 (Dec 2011/Jan 2012)

Chapter 3 (Feb/Mar 2012)

Chapter 4 (Apr/May 2012)

Chapter 5 (June 2012)

Chapter 6 (July 2012)

Chapter 7 (Aug 2012)

Chapter 8 (Oct/Nov 2012)

Chapter 9 (Dec 2012)

Cool? Maybe not so much if you've been waiting a while for chapter eight. I promise, though, the new version will be much more enjoyable, and since I've finalized the storyline, everything will be much more concise and relevant. CBS development is going fairly smooth, and many of the game mechanics will be getting an overhaul. I'll also be sprinkling in additional dungeons (Great Risbana Desert anyone?) and sidequests along the way to boost character development.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4763


Check out her blog for more examples of her work.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4736 Stickers. If you want to order free SU stickers, check it out.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4718
I'm still posting smaller/frequent updates on the facebook page though. Thanks for sticking with this.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4654
I suppose consider this last call for bugfixes. Check out a list of fixes for this release and if you have any others, do feel free to submit a ticket.

I'm also going to start designing the new website soon. My goal is to have something more search-engine friendly and create something that feels more interactive. I have a few ideas so far:

Topic subscriptions

Update alerts via SMS (text messaging) or email

Reply notifications

Faster pageloading, AJAX support.

A lightweight mobile version

Cookies! so you won't have to keep logging in every time you visit

If you have any site suggestions, questions, or features you want to see do let me know.

Thanks!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4640 add an hour to your timezone offset if you observe DST.

Regarding SU, I spent the weekend mapping the new area for chapter 1. I'm starting to think this whole revision thing is taking longer than expected, but it looks really nice. After this I'm going to sit down and determine how necessary some of these future revisions really are, because I don't want the downtime between chapter 7 and 8 to be longer than it needs to be (because it's already looking pretty long).

At the end of the month I will post new screenshots. I might even have a game update, too.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4609
For the next few months, I am revising chapters 1-7. I want the game's quality to feel consistent and complete. I'm polishing up events, reworking dialogue, and making things look generally much prettier. Naturally, this means more work will go into earlier content as later chapters are generally okay. This will take three to four months in completion, and I will release chapter updates as I go, provided the storyline remains coherent. You can choose to replay the project or wait. To read why you might wait, keep reading.

In parallel to these revisions I am also planning the Custom Battle System. I'm not actually doing any implementation yet, because I want everything planning-wise to be crystal clear before I begin.

After storyline revisions, I'm going to comb through the project a second time and re-work many of the gameplay systems. To give you an idea of what I'm adding: new custom battle system, no world map, a day/night system, nicer chests & doors, updated essence/tech/level up system, updated stat system, and more. I want to also have more original graphics; keifurisu is working on facesets, and I've recruited someone to do monsters. Hopefully ranmaster will still do my battle sprites! This will take a few months...

Finally, we will be back on-schedule and I will resume working on chapter eight and after that it's chapter nine! To recap, here is a timeline:

March '11 to June '11 Dialogue/Storyline revisions
July '11 to September '11 Gameplay revisions
October '11 to February '12 Chapter 8
March '12 to ??? Chapter 9
???? SUX

This is completely tentative, but the bottom line is I want to complete this project by December 2012--ten years after I started it.

If it helps I will continue posting these updates monthly just to make sure I'm on track and to give you an idea at a high level of what's left.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4541
v7.0.5b is up. Please download an update if you are playing the game.

For a list of changes, check this out.

Thanks for your support.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4523

There's a contest going on right now on my facebook page. check it out and win some prizes?

The help page has been updated on some of the points/fame features of the website. I still haven't included a full bbcode guide.

Input boxes (for edit post, post topic, reply, etc) are larger

I have two new BBCode tags--[youtube] and [bug].

Enclose a full youtube video URL in [youtube] to embed videos directly to the forums:

Before
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0M4l4ClhRw[/youtube]

After


Easily link directly to a bug on the Bug Tracker:

before
[bug=20]

after
Bug #20

(If you're wondering how I got the parser to bypass tags [b]like this[/b], double curly braces convert to single braces that bypass the parser. Try it!)]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4469
http://starlessumbra.com/bugs/index.php?do=index&tasks=&project=1&due=6&status[]=
(I would hyperlink but the brackets seem to break the bbcode parser.)

Anything that says "closed" is fixed. If you want to see a new feature, or have found a bug in 7.0.4, do report it.

Oh and to clarify, this list isn't cumulative. There are still bugs that are reported, but will not be fixed in 7.0.5 for whatever reason. Full details are available in the tracker. (Just click that new "bugs" link in the top nav.)

I will likely be writing up a guide for the tracker, among other things, eventually.
]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4443


Do enjoy!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4411
First and foremost, there's a game update. Grab a copy from the downloads page and replace your old exe to play the updated version.

The main bugs fixed in this version involving issues with the cooking system and a missing cutscene from Caldur Pass.

Secondly, I'm migrating away from that messy bug topic and moving towards an official bug tracker. I've installed Flyspray, and if you'd like to play around with it, feel free to have a look at starlessumbra.com/bugs. This should in the future be a much more manageable method for tracking issues.

Lastly, you'll notice an extra period in the version number. This is just for keeping consistent with software development notation. In this format, x.y.z, you can expect increases in z to be small updates and bugfixes, increases in y to be medium-sized updates (like new puzzles, towns, cutscene updates, etc) and increases in x will be large (new chapter).

Thanks guys! I hope you enjoy it.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4333
For now, I'm off to Atlanta. I will be back to develop more on Tuesday, but will likely be intermittently checking in between now and then.

If you have any feature requests let me know and I will try to squeeze them in. Thanks for your help in testing the project!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4279 reCAPTCHA for validating registrations. The only real problems with the captcha engine I designed was that it was weak and reportedly difficult to use. reCAPTCHA is feature-rich, innovative, and supports a good cause.

The downside? It doesn't match the skin, but I'm sure if I read the API there would be some methods on skinning the module.

Bonus: for lots of fun listen to audio CAPTCHAs. It sounds like google is attempting to send subliminal messages to us. "listen and type the following words... bomb... microsoft... destroy... bing"]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4261
I'm very happy to announce--after some complications with switching my development environment over to Win7--the release of SUv7.03.

Highlights

New game icon!

Left: new Right: old

There's an all-new world map interface

Bosses are properly implemented with more than 10HP and in-battle dialogue.

Caldur is populated with NPCs! Among them are your usual weapon/armor/essence/inns, an apprentice craftsman, a hopeful gardener, an all-new minigame, and characters that speak out about important events.

Chapter 7 has treasures. Be on the lookout for new weapons.

The cooking system has been revised to contain up to 30 total recipes. (Fine print: Only six have been released. As a result of adding new ingredients, item indexes have shifted around. In other words, if you load up a save file from 7.02 or below, certain items will be updated as others. If you end up with an item you weren't supposed to have, it might not work, as I haven't implemented them all!) There are other new features to the cooking/food system, but I will let you all discover them on your own.

There's a new puzzle in the Factory (ch2)

I've fixed several bugs! See the bugs thread if you're curious

I've introduced new bugs! For instance, if you move while switching to map mode 2 the frame might shift. If you enter a town while in map mode 2, the location icons slide to the corner. I'll fix those in some future release.

If you haven't played in a while, or feel like helping test the project, I encourage you to head to the download page and grab the newest version.

I'd also like to drop a special thanks to Choutas, gkinfinity, and laharl for expressing an interest in (re)playing through the project for me. It saves me a bunch of time!

If you're wondering where things are going from here, well my main goal is to finish the project without fondling too much prior content. (There are two more chapters. I anticipate 8 being done around summer '11 and 9 around winter '11) Once a "rough draft" of the game is completed in the next year or so, I will begin working on phase two where I implement all these storyline and gameplay fixes, features, etc., I have in mind! If all goes well, this project might be complete by December 2012--marking exactly 10 years since I've started it.

Anyway enough rambling, I've got work tomorrow and it's late. Keep in touch and thanks!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4223

Users page looks normal now.

Users cannot post comments on their own profile. This feature is like an email inbox, so to reply to any comments on your profile go to that person's profile instead of your own. (So they will see a notice on the user menu!)

If you have any suggestions for the website, as always let me know and I will get to them eventually! I have a few ideas in mind for enhancements but the game comes before the website.

I've uploaded a teaser video on youtube which you've probably already seen if you lurk the forums. If not, have a look.

Lastly, I've just got to add a few more NPCs to ch7 and 7.03 will be ready. I might also have a look at the bug thread and try to knock out a few more of those before release as well. I have a feeling the new features will bring more bugs as well!

Thanks for visiting and thanks for posting. It motivates me more than you think!

EDIT: my 100th update! Wow cool. That's an average of one update every 11 days.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4175 http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4125

[done] Caldur will now contain NPCs that are a bit more involved. There is a custom armor NPC, new quest NPCs, and a minigame.

Stamina Recovery will be awarded for completing more of the stamina-based minigames.

[done] I've replaced the lead party member's name in the save/load screens with the player's current location. (Very handy, since Andoru leads the party 95% of the time and having his name is useless information.)

[done] Saving is now all handled in a common event. This opens up a plethora of possibilities: There is a new save confirmation sound, certain essences can occasionally heal the party when you touch a save crystal, and if I'm feeling incredibly evil, save points can poison/wound party members when you save. (The ugly: now saving must be done from outside the menu, maybe a key press on the world map?)

Cooking overhaul: more recipes, more ingredients (some of which you can't just buy in a store), more effects, more fun!

[done] A custom inn handler (beta). You can only test this in Arkor by holding shift when you talk to the innkeeper.

[done]The world map will be updated to be picture-based with three modes: the current mode where you can move the arrow around and highlight locations, a 50% overhead mode where the map overlays the whole screen and you can still move around, and a corner minimap (like back in ch 4!).

I've done some more mapping for ch8, but that's not coming for a bit. *grin*

If you'd like to help, there's a couple things you can do! I still need more ingredients and recipes for the updated cooking system. I also need to get through to adding more NPCs. Any implementation suggestions you have would also be greatly appreciated.
]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4090
1.) I work on SU lots on my desktop (win 7 64bit)
2.) I backup/transfer SU after working on it to a flash drive
3.) I copy files over to my netbook (winxp 32bit)
4.) I open the project on the netbook.

The problem: My project opens on the netbook as if none of the work done in step 1 was completed. Essentially, all work done on the new desktop is not present when transferred over to the netbook.

Any ideas, folks?

My first thought was, "oh surely it's because I've backed up an older copy." I tried again after work that day and after ensuring I had the proper copy, the same thing happened again today on a separate flash drive.

Now I'm thinking it could be one of two things:

1.) File formatting differences. NTFS and FAT haven't had any real incompatibility issues for me in the past, so this seems unlikely at the moment, but still an option. When I view the files on the flash drive, they appear to be the same out-of-date files that get transferred over to the netbook. This wouldn't explain, though, why OLDER versions of the project are getting transferred over. (Such as save files)

2.) Somehow, maybe when I backed up an older version and deleted it without emptying the recycle bin, windows decided to "restore" the older copy of the file. This doesn't make much sense to me but I've enabled hidden/system files/folders before and noticed when deleting files off the drive, all that happens is windows puts them in a system directory on the device.

Things I will try tonight:

Reformat usb drives so the file format (NTFS, FAT, etc) is consistent among devices

Empty recycle bin (you never know!)

If all else fails... I can look into my old SVN repository or backup via FTP instead.

If you have any suggestions, please let me know below. I'll keep you all updated.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4085
Thanks for your kind words and inspiration,
--dhm]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4040
Here's for waiting for that bit of motivation. *cheers*]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4031
I will have something new to show off soon. Once I get a bit more motivated.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4017
BigOne had a dual-core processor, a 160GB hard-drive (a major upgrade from my previous internal hard drives, 40GB and 7GB respectively), 1GB of ram (from 256 MB), and I rocked the onboard video/sound card like there was no tomorrow. He served me well through countless trips from San Francisco back to my home town in East Bay and never had any issues.

Last summer, however, I noticed BigOne was getting slow and unresponsive at times. He would occasionally hog all system resources after I tried to close an application and the longer I left him powered up, the less reliable he became. I got in the habit of powering up the PC, working for an hour or two, then turning it off just to give it a rest.

Near the end of the summer I looked at a few options for replacing BigOne and ultimately went against it. Most of the PCs I researched were too expensive at the time, and I figured an upgrade would do the machine well. I stopped by a best buy and picked up an additional 2GBs of RAM, an ATI Radeon 5770 graphics card, and a 600w power supply to power that son of a bitch.

Upgrade cost for BigOne: $350

The upgrade worked well, but after a while, the same sort of unresponsive behavior returned. I tried troubleshooting the issue, but really had no luck. Eventually I faced the facts. BigOne was getting old.

(As a side-note, I was also moving at the time, so I left BigOne back in the East Bay while I searched for a place to live in the city. This happened during late August - early September. Does this date sound familiar? It should, because this was when I released Ch 7 beta, despite my PC being on its last legs, bumming a place to sleep at my girlfriends, and otherwise being essentially homeless.)

I moved into my new place and near the end of September I began researching new PCs. I decided since I had just spent quite a bit on an upgrade just a few months back, it would be best to go with a barebones PC and just move some of BigOne's internals to the new machine.

Immediately, Intel's i7 quad-core 2.8ghz processors caught my eye. That, combined with a DVD drive and a 500GB internal hard drive was all I needed. Or so I thought.

Total cost of new machine: $610

By last Friday, the machine was shipped and sitting in my apartment. I eagerly ripped into BigOne, pulling the graphics card and RAM out to transfer to the new machine. I quickly discovered my first problem: my old RAM (DDR2) was incompatible. Without a beat I stopped by best buy and picked up 2x2GB sticks of RAM.

Total cost of new machine: $610 + $190 = $800

I go back to my apartment, pop in the RAM, and install the old graphics card before realizing yet another problem: the internal power supply cannot power my graphics card--it was missing a 6-pin input cable.

So I decide, "no problem, let's just use the upgraded power supply I purchased for BigOne." Shortly after, I realized there was a problem: with this new configuration I couldn't power my SATA drives. I knew the power supply came with SATA power cables, but I couldn't remember for the life of me where I had left them after I moved out. I checked back where I had left some of my old belongings back in the East Bay, but inevitably came to the conclusion that in moving out I had tossed out the remaining power cables. So I ended up throwing down another $70 on a power supply.

Total cost of new machine: $610 + $190 + $70 = $870

(Side-note, this isn't the first time during this move I had thrown out something I needed. The router and modem, which ended up getting dumped, had to be replaced for another one for $100 only weeks after I threw out the old ones. Yes, I fail.)

Sunday evening, 10/10/10, "Epoch," successor to "BigOne" came to existence. Including the graphics card, this new machine alone cost me over $1000 dollars and despite the sudden expenses am I happy with it! I've finally upgraded to DDR3 ram, SATA hard drives, and sailed right over Windows Vista into Windows 7. Plus, BigOne is still intact and usable just as when I had originally purchased it. (Sort of.)

tl;dr, computers can get expensive. SU is back on track and I even scripted a fun puzzle in three hours on Sunday. Cheers!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=4007 19 more bugs are fixed in this version and most notably, Andoru will now gain HP after Everine Depths in ch7 when he levels up.

As a side-note, if you've already passed this point, a secondary fix will be applied to fix the bug that resulted from the post-stat fix. Don't worry, it happens automatically (with a small easter egg, hehe).

7.02 will likely be the last beta release if all goes well. Expect 7.03 to have actual NPCs and balanced boss battles.

Chapter Eight is in the works. I've started on the first dungeon already and it's unlike anything I've ever done or seen before. Hopefully that's a good thing.

Thanks again for all your feedback, encouragement, and interaction with this project. Have a great weekend. :)]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3933
Download Page

Changelog (See Closed Bugs section)

Thank you for your support!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3849
The presentation of the game at this point I admit isn't it's finest, but I will be updating this month rapidly as I get back into the development groove.

Real quick, I want to give a big big thanks to keifurisu for the art and skinning the wonderful layout Cosmos. If it wasn't for her I'd probably still be slacking off. Moreover, thanks to Nation and mellytan for doing a quick test of the game. I also really appreciate all the words of encouragement from you all over the years. Things will only continue to get better.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3832
My netbook is being incredibly difficult (linux) so I'll have to wait until I get home to finish things up.

Believe it!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3699
Release date: September 1, 2010.


"YES! I am successful business man and I am happy dhm is finally announced release date !!!"

What's the plot for the chapter going to be like? Well, you know I like to keep it vague, but in a nutshell Andoru will be working with Khan to understand the "union" discussed near the end of the previous chapter. His resolution is again a step further from finding a way home (which has its consequences), but it is a necessary step as we will see a slight shift in Andoru's personality as he builds himself mentally and physically. (Finally!)

I've pushed the bar with chapter seven. Much of the game as you know is constantly undergoing a makeover, so what that means is that not only will there be plenty of new and exciting material, but I'm also adding a few more cutscenes to earlier portions of the games to give the plot some more continuity. (More Illia anyone?)

Thank you for being patient with me as I've worked with release over the past year or so. The recent activity on the forums really pushed me to wrap this up and now I feel as if it's time for another deadline in my life.

PS, if you are playing SU right now I suggest you wait. Saves will be compatible. :]]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3663
A test playthrough is underway this weekend for myself currently. Hopefully that will give me the push of motivation I need to announce some real news soon. Thanks for stopping by. ;)

bonus! random ch7 quote
Carrots: I sometimes wonder if your attention span is shorter than my own.
Kelar: HEY! I've got a plenty fine span of attention. Just you try me!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3583
Here's my offer to you, oh frequent visitors. ;)

If anyone is in the middle of a playthrough and wouldn't mind taking some new screenshots, I'll pay 0.50 USD per screenshot.

Now, for the fine-print:

Send your screenshots--along with a caption--to my email. dragonheartman at gmail.

I only need about 40 screenshots. For the quick, that's a max of $20 you can earn if you happen to be the first to send all 40.

I don't need screenshots similar to the ones I already have here. However, if you have a clever/witty caption, go ahead and submit it--even if it's similar to an existing screenshot.

Submissions run until I've received 40 screenshots. Feel free to submit more than I might need. For example, say user A submits 30 screenshots and I accept 20 out of 30. User B could submit 30 as well (even though I only need 20 more).

Payments will be made via paypal, so please send your paypal address along with your screenshots.

If I've forgotten anything else, or you have any questions, let me know!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3553
Here are a few pages you might find useful that aren't in the navbar:

Search SU.com
http://www.starlessumbra.com/search.php
I implemented searching, but there are a few kinks that I never got around to working out. Still, it's mostly functional. Thanks for Fireflame for reminding me this existed.

http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_hist.php
This quick page views the latest posts that were rated on the forum. If you are curious what a particular post# is, use this final page:

http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_post.php
This is a supplementary page that dynamically previews a single post by supplying an ID in the field. It's pretty awesome! And to-date it is the only AJAX programming I've ever done. (It's messy!)

That's all for now. I'll try posting more. I wanted to start a blog or something, but this was why I created this space in the first place. Cheers!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3497
Despite finals being next week, this is officially no longer on hiatus.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3487
I'll be finished with my classes in about four weeks. After that, I'm moving out (I already have a place in San Francisco) and starting my new job.

So chapter seven is coming sometime this summer. Don't you dare think I won't finish this, either.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3452
Feel free to contact me if you ever want to chat.

With love,
--dhm]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3422
When I widened the site to 800px I forgot to update an ie-only stylesheet that fixed some inconsistencies with the menu. The result was my IE stylesheet would overwrite a width attribute and set the page back to 640px.

So su.com now looks "acceptable" on IE7.

I've also updated the users page to look decent on the new widescreen layout.

On the game side of things, I might release 6.07 soon. I also might just push for 7.00. I'm unhappy with a number of bugs I've fixed so 6.07 might be the right choice, because if I rush for 7.00 early you know that just means even MORE bugs later. :)

Of course either way ch7 is fairly close to completion in terms of cutscenes and maps, but there still needs to be enemies, items, npcs, and so forth. That just means I will announce a release date soon.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3391
If you remember about a month or two ago I discussed a difficulty of implementation for all of SU7's cutscenes:

http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3313

At the time I was at 8% completion--well after this weekend this has jumped to 36%.

As my second to last semester of college comes to a close, I've switched to full-time SU development mode once again.
]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3364
I'm working on dialogue still; trying not to hype anything but also thank you for posting! If you have any suggestions as always let me know and HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF SU :D

Have a great week.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3348
Also update your timezone settings via your edit profile link if you live in a country that observes Daylight Saving Time!

Anyone do anything cool for halloween?]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3313
As I mentioned before, I don't have a lot of free time, and it sort of shows. I'm really behind on weekly screenshots--and I plan on getting to that soon--but I did make some good progress over my extended four-day break.

Stormy weather returned to California, and I picked up the stomach flu, but strangely enough, being indoors all day while it was raining outside made me feel nostalgic. Here's what I've done:

I've created a list of every cutscene I need to do for chapter seven and ranked its difficulty exponentially (1,2,4,8, etc). Obviously the tougher cutscenes will take longer, so following the Agile Methodology of development this essentially gives me a pessimistic approach as to how far I am into completing chapter seven's cutscenes. So far, I've implemented about 5/58 points, which isn't much, but I was pretty happy with the day's progress. If you figure 5 points a day--and this is for writing and implementing--I could technically have SU7's cutscenes done in 12 days. Just saying, and thats if I didn't have to go to this thing they call school. :)

Also that means the CBS I'm holding off until I complete the game. That means there will be an additional release after chapter 9, which was thought to be my last, but now theres...

Starless Umbra X (SUX!) will be nothing more than SU9 with a complete CBS, 100% original faces, 100% original music, and 100% original CGs/Cutscenes... just to get you a little excited for something that won't be here for a bit. :)]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3246
That means my vault is running low and I will need more. I smell a small contest coming soon.

I just got back from a weekend in Seattle with mrs. dhm and I miss her so much already. :(

Relevant though--she wants to make SU plushies! Post if you're interested (and of which characters? *grin*)]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3228
Not all is lost, however. Conceptual updates will be the primary focus from now until things slow down. I'm going to be tweaking a lot of what I have planned before I create it. This gives me much more time to plan what big changes are to come. I don't want to get too ahead of myself.

Thanks for sticking with this. I'll be doing the same.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3156
Starless Umbra v6.06 is up and ready to download! This isn't a required download, unless you are playing through no-battles mode. (In which case you'll need to update in order to get past some bosses I forgot to disable!)

There are a few other cool reasons to download this version, such as a new cutscene during chapter two and heaps of bugfixes. (I think everything mentioned in the forums that required immediate attention has been fixed.)

Other minor fixes I can recall include fixing some teleport locations, adding treasures, adding the footprint system to Sathron, updating the in-game world map to accommodate some chapter seven locations, and whatever else I forgot. :]

If all is well this will be the last revision before chapter seven. Of course that is incredibly wishful thinking... Have a great weekend!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3139
v6.06 coming soon. :]]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3082 Topic Pages. From now on, if a post gets too long, it is split up into multiple pages. (The default is 15 per page.) I've done some basic smoke-tests, and aside from a few edge cases I think everything is functional. Please let me know what you think, and if there's anything else you have in mind for me to add or fix I'll take note.

If you want to change the number of posts displayed per page, you can do so in your User CP.

Also, this piece of an email made my day:

Quote:

I'm afraid with looking after my kids i haven't had much time to play your adventure, but i will, you could say, i'm hooked.

]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=3019
Also, check out and comment on the weekly screenshots. I'm showing off something from Chapter 7 this week. :]]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2968
You can subscribe here:
http://www.starlessumbra.com/rss_img.php

Also, the Screenshots page is back up. Click to enlarge images. (You can also move them around, toggle between them with the arrow keys, and more!)

Also, thanks to Highslide JS, which is the thumbnail viewer I used to include all these cool effects.

Ninja edit:
Spoiler forums are hidden by default. If you want to view them again, go to your profile and check the Show spoiler forums and posts box.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2953


Here's to the next nine thousand!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2881
The biggest change you'll see is the "Screenshot of the Week" feature on the right side of the home page. It updates--or should update--automatically every Monday. I plan on adding more features to the "View All Screenshots" page as well as add a few more very soon.

The javascript that expands the image when you hover over them is a little strange. I'm still debating whether or not I want to keep it on mouse over, or on mouse click. (Once there are a few more screenshots it won't do that annoying scroll thing.)

To accommodate this feature I've again widened the layout to 800px. I've only done this for the default skin, so if you're using some of the older skins, it will be broken. Also, the site looks terrible in IE6. If you're still running IE6, upgrade! :P

If the website looks strange, try doing a hard refresh to reload the stylesheet. (F5)

EDIT: If you're getting the "Run Time Package not found" error that has been fixed in the download now too. (You just need to rename the Starless Umbra.ini file to RPG_RT.ini.)]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2855
I made a su dev page on twitter: http://twitter.com/starlessumbra

Basically I'll spam the hell out of that with what I'm working on. It's new, but it will grow. Feel free to follow and I'll return the favor.

I've also fixed the RSS feed to format BBCode properly to make it easier to read. In addition, there's now a link on the top of the page. So if you haven't, subscribe. :D]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2830
(ENOUGH ALREADY DHM TELL US ABOUT CH7)

Chapter seven is going well. I'm finishing up the second dungeon of the chapter. What that means is that after this there's a just one dungeon left to design for chapter seven and five more (required) dungeons to design in SU as a whole. I'm also expediting my efforts as a developer and am trying to push a release for late '09 rather than early '10.

I don't want to call it rushing, because I am honestly just making steady progress, but it's really time to start wrapping things up. Chapter 7 and 8 consist of the game's real conflicts and I want to keep pushing myself.

This also means I am exploring the idea of possibly asking for help at this point. I haven't thought of the details (or whether or not this is even a cool idea) but it would involve me giving money to someone to help speed up my releases. Again, just an experimental idea I am toying with. Who knows if I'll even want to pull through with it in the future, but feel free to drop me a line if you have any interest at all. This game, despite being created exclusively by me in the actual editor, wouldn't be what it is without the collaborative efforts of the rest of the "team" as well as the community that have shown interest in this project.

Thank you for over 2000 downloads in the short (nearly) two years we've been online.

News post getting long; shutting up now.

tl;dr su6.05 is here]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2754 New Posts page, it will automatically take you to the bottom of the topic (to view the newest reply).

Also, when you comment on a post, you are automatically taken to your reply on the topic. Give it a try.

I know some of you complained about getting logged out while you were in the middle of a post because your session on SU.com expires fairly quickly (after about an hour?). If you posted a reply and were logged out, you would usually lose all that data. Now, you are taken to a "Recovery" page where you can easily select & copy your reply to add once you log-in again.

(If you want to try it out for some reason, view a topic then open a new tab. Logout on the second tab and post a reply on the first.)]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2737
This update primarily fixes a few graphical glitches and tweaks to some of the newer content mentioned in the previous update, specifically with the new adjustments to the damage attributes.

I've also added a new No-Battles mode of difficulty, if you feel like just playing through the game to quickly enjoy the story without training and learning skills, then give it a try. To access it, just press right while selecting a difficulty. (Also you cannot play Expert mode coupled with No-Battles mode.)]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2689

• New Cutscene: After you leave the Temple with Andoru, Clydan, and Reene.
  
• Updated Cutscene: On the bridge at Birnam Woods. (I will say more in the spoiler boards)
  
• Added a short dungeon to chapter five
  
• New Splash Screen. :)
  
• Failing the horse race minigame will give you the option of skipping the minigame or retrying. You get a little prize for completing it.
  
• You now start out with five of each gems when you learn how to use techs.
  
• You now get recovered before the swapping puzzle in the Bandit's Hideout to prevent getting a gameover if one of the characters are wounded.
  
• I've updated the damage percentage algorithm. Essentially you will do more damage and Intelligence affects spell damage much more. In return, monsters have a bit more health.
  
• New Arkor!
  
• Percentage Completed feature works! It shows you the percentage completed of the actual implemented game (meaning 100% when you finish chapter six). This only works for games started in 6.03 onwards. For older saves, it will "catch up" once you complete chapter six (in the chapter seven release).
  

That's all that I can think of. If you've played through already and want to see the updated cutscenes (you should!), check out the spoilers forum.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2679
So check them out and expect an update this weekend.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2592
I just finished the first town and dungeon for chapter seven, which put me at 20 total dungeons and 955 maps so far in SU. In addition, I have more content for chapter five and revisions to a couple cutscenes--one really "major" one as well.

I will have screenshots and stuff soon. I do not have internet access on my main PC at the moment so I can't actually show off any new screenshots but there are a few at RPGmaker.net

Hope you all have a great weekend.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2558 http://www.rpgmaker.net! This has surprised and excited me to no end.

A quick update on game progression, you can actually expect soon-ish version 6.1.0, which will feature a whole new playable/extended cutscene as well as what I'd consider major revisions to a few cutscenes. More details to come.

Thanks for visiting. :)
]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2495
Now that I think about it, I still wanted to tweak a bit of the enemies but this should make chapter six a little easier and more rewarding. Veris Temple is still missing treasure and Mokono needs NPCs. :(

However, a bigger new feature is the Gem Credit Shop in Mokono. Go there to swap out a particular Gem for another element if you happen to be running low.

Also, I've added a couple of AWESOME reviews to SU.com. Big thanks to Mikel_S and NicoB for the feedback. I've been meaning to update SU's in-game credits but major thanks to Stedar as well for the amazing feedback and hasty playthrough.

SU7 is just barely in development, but as a very very vague release date, it will be here early 2010.

I've also added a short SU trailer to the homepage. If you've been following me on youtube you've probably already seen it, but let me know what you think.

Lastly Mrs. DHM left yesterday and I am a little bored and sad. However, this is my last week of classes and I've got one week after of finals then I will be done with my third year of college. Time sure flies...]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2436
Also the walkthrough is updated with a quick and dirty guide to chapter six if you're at all stuck. I will add more later because it's seriously much less in-depth than some of the previous stuff.

I'm off to pick Mrs. DHM up from the airport. Expect v6.02 very soon. Thanks for playing, guys.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2351
As a bonus you guys have a new skin. What graphics weren't kei's art I ended up doing in MS Paint. Go to your user profile and select "Bleeding Umbra" if you'd like to make it your default, as it is now for the website.

I rushed my last playthrough. And by rushed I mean it still took me 11 straight hours to finish. There's a new intro, new content, and new bugs. Old saves are still compatible (ch 5+). If you're new to SU expect a full playthrough to take somewhere between 15-20 hours.

I had a full handwritten page front and back of things I wanted to fix and I got about 90% through before I just gave up. Some things I didn't get to in the interest of time but I hope you will be grateful for the timeliness. As always, save often in multiple slots. You never know where DHM might have screwed up. Remember, it's late and I haven't slept much.

Seriously expect a bugfix patch in a week. I just wanted to get this out there.

Major props to kei for the cool artz... always. And Kairen for letting me stay over and beta testing with me. <3 And of course soctkoren invited me to stay over so I ended up installing RM2k3 and fixing a good chunk of bugs while he watched food network and bought me salame that smelt like semen (but tasted great!) Thank you. BUT MOST OF ALL BIG THANKS TO THE COMMUNITY! I coded these forums and a couple of you actually use it. It's an awesome feeling, and if it weren't for you I probably wouldn't release anything. Ever.

I will be posting this on gamemaking forums later on, once I get a little bit of feedback and I actually get around to EDITING ANDORU SO HE USES A SPEAR IN THE WOLF HQ MINIGAME. Think of visiting SU.com as a little perk, if you will.

If there's any problems let me know. I sincerely hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

EDIT: Version 6.01 uploaded.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2328 Quote: I don't quite get the complexities of Shiki and DHM's relationship, but at least I do understand that the release date for chapter six is one week away. Fuck yeah!
Less than a week left indeed. I just finished the last cutscene. I'm going back and adding two more minor ones just for clarification purposes.

I'm almost there!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2255
A bit of general quick dungeon cleanup and enemy balancing,

Some additional dialogue,

Added world map locations,

General testing,

and I'd say SU6 is ready. I'm excited to meet this deadline guys.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2229
EDIT: Okay real update. We have a favicon now. :P]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2190
]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2147
Anyway, here are just a few screenshots of the new introduction, which plays out a little differently than the last. I don't know what else to say other than enjoy.


Some potentially mysterious people.


Tulron. Fire?!


Clydan, I think it's 'Fight fire with fire.']]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2135
I'm going to be honest, I haven't played through my game completely in a few months. It's getting to the point where it takes me a couple of solid days to finish it. I don't know if it's because I want to try to keep it as fresh as possible but I do know the importance of testing, and every time I do a playthrough, I have this strange urge to update the existing game content. A lot. In my latest playthrough, I am currently at Birnam Woods--revising content as I go along.

For this update, I'm going to just give you a quick overview of what's new and what has already been done. Later this week I will go a little more in-depth with a few screenshots. (Again, only of content before chapter 6. :P)

• Updated intro
  
• Major dialogue revisions in Arkor
  
• Visual tech tutorial
  
• Minor plot-flow changes and dialogue revisions in Dorin Castle
  
• Updated jumping system in several dungeons.
  
• New dynamic encounter rate system as well as some major adjustments to battle difficulty, enemy abilities, exp rewards, and more
  

]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2118
Starless Umbra on Facebook
URL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Starless-Umbra/61674751473]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2084
It might not make much sense but the reason I take down downloads has been sort of personal. All in all I am unhappy with the current release, and as always, big changes are coming over the horizon. So I hope you understand. In short, I don't want you playing something old, and if you haven't played SU yet, please wait for Chapter Six!

I am keeping the download up for a little while longer because I don't want to shock anyone. But if you visit here regularly, chances are you already have the game.

In an ideal case, the download will be down for about a month and then you all will be playing Chapter 6! Saves will be compatible.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=2032
Also in the world of SU, Ch. 6 will have three dungeons. I anticipate it will be a bit longer than Ch. 5. Plus there are a couple new turns in the story. Possibly a new intro (again) and slight changes to the random encounter rates.

I will need full beta testers February or March, I anticipate (meaning a full playthrough, not just chapter 6). Though that might make you all groan, as I'm sure you've played through my game enough already. But let me know if you're interested.

Lastly if you want a minor game update, I can do that. But honestly things have slowed down a bit in terms of SU-playability. Plus I'm sure people somewhere are still playing Dragon Heart Chapter 2. Stay tuned!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1983
From now until the new year, all point rewards on SU.com for creating topics and posting replies to topics will be quadroupled. (Thats 8 points for a reply and 40 points for a new topic.)

Yeah yeah, SU.com is a year old now, too! Just think, one year ago I released ch4. I'm in good shape I think. XD]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1937 here]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1840
On December 25th--whether or not you celebrate Christmas--I have something planned for SU.com's first birthday celebration, so stop by the forums that day to celebrate with me. :D]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1795
I love you. :D]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1732
Hohoho love ya lots hun. don't kill me pls :3

]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1719 http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1666
If you've already beaten Ch.5, just wait for Ch.6--unless you feel like playing again. :D

Now back to bed for me. I'm skipping Physics today because apparently salami sandwiches hate me. I'll fill you guys in on 5.02->5.03 changes soon.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1634 Edit Profile link at the top of the page.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1605
Happy Halloween, everyone! Enjoy the weekend. Estimated Release for SU6 is April-ish 2009.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1554
I'm also implementing instant-redirects, which you might have noticed if you've logged into the forums. Pretty neat, I think! If you can't login, contact me.

5.03 will be out early next week. But for now, everyone enjoy the weekend!
]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1548

• Most users received double the amount of points they currently had.
  
• Posting replies will give you two points rather than one.
  
• Creating a topic will give you ten points rather than five.
  
• Rating a post will give you a point.

As some level of user moderation, I've implemented a Fame system to the forums. As you browse SU.com, if you notice a helpful or meaningful post, click the + icon next to the bottom of it to give the post a positive rating. If you notice a post that isn't so helpful, feel free to give it a negative rating as well. This rating you give to a post will impact the Fame of the author of that particular post.

A positive fame doesn't give you the right to act like an elitist, and a negative fame doesn't mean you'll be banned from the site. This is all generally for statistics, but if certain trends show up, proper action might have to be taken. Though, so far that hasn't been too much of a problem.

The amount of time you must wait in order to rate a post is dependent upon your post count. For those of you who want the LOLMATHS, there is a [30-(postcount/40)]minute wait in order to rate again.

PS, please report any bugs you may encounter.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1509
In terms of revising SU's current content, I have two main focuses and questions for you all right now.

First, what are your thoughts on the Running System? Is it irrelevant or annoying? In the beginning I can see how it'd be slightly tedious so one thing I am implementing is an item that allows you to quadruple the amount of exp earned while you run for, say, 100 steps!

Secondly, I admit dialogue is not my strong point. If you could, feel free to mention any dialogue you found in SU that didn't flow particularly well or seemed awkward. I am thinking much of Dorin Castle's cutscenes may need a bit of shaping in that sense.

That's all for now. Thanks for your feedback! Enjoy the weekend.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1438
I ended up modifying and pixeling in a chipset in Photoshop to use for the next dungeon rather than using the previous one, which was rather inconsistent. Needless to say the dungeons are coming along very well and they will play very SU-like.

Of course, I will not have any screenshots for you until SU6 is good and ready. Oh and 5.03 is nearly done--I just need to add about one or two more quests. There will be two more optional dungeons, and plenty of cool items, treasures, and so forth.

That's about it for now.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1271
Though before you ask, another optional town was not quite finished and I haven't gotten to all the bugs, so there will be more.

On a positive note, this version does not have any prerequisite to download.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=1051
Most of you have already completed the game, so this isn't too major. I'm in the process of fixing bugs so there should be a game update whenever I'm not dying from classes.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=957
Since this required adding a new field to a table, this feature will only take effect for posts made after, well this one pretty much.

Thanks everyone for posting! Have a great rest of the weekend.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=827 beta for a reason. Wait a bit if you don't like it, because it's not like an open release is far off anyway.

On a positive note, Kudos to ARCduke13 for registering and actually contributing. Thanks a bunch, bro. :)

Lastly, I've slightly widened the comment box for replying to topics. I know it's minor, but just wanted to throw that out there.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=792 http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=790
If you're using Firefox, there should be a small icon next to the address bar that looks like this:



Click it! There's also a Direct Link to the feed.

Mmm other than that there's a new default skin for SU.com. Sexy isn't it?

PS, I know you guys want game updates too. v.5.1b of SU coming later tonight.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=763
I WANNA UPDATE SO MUCH! So I'll just frantically post here and pretend like I have something tangible for you guys. Meanwhile, I'll just spam the forums at work. Maybe I can hold Kairen hostage and use her laptop for SU updates.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=723
On the contrary, I've actually been fairly productive. I'll have both a game and site update for you next weekend. In addition, I'll be manually giving out points to Stedar and Lagunax1 for being awesome.

In the meantime, drool at Shiki and Kei's artwork.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=637 beta is released! If you're interested in testing before I release it to more of the RPG Making community, please head over to the downloads page and get a copy.

Important! In order to download the beta, you need to be logged in and have at least 30 points. Remember, it's +1 point for a reply and +5 points for a topic.

The reason I've released something before I am completely happy with it is because Starless Umbra is getting bigger. With over 800 maps and somewhere around 12 hours of gameplay, there's just simply too much to test.

Here are some guidelines to make the most out of your playthrough for me and you:

• Save in more than one slot, in case something goes wrong
  
• Keep a log (just a sheet of paper or a txt doc open) with start and finishing times for each of your gameplay sessions and keep track of any bugs, comments, and so on.
  
• Let me know what level you were at the end.

I'll have a walkthrough updated shortly, but it shouldn't be too difficult to get through the new content. I'm probably forgetting something but go ahead and give it a shot. If something goes wrong, post on the forums.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=550

• The layout width went from 500px to 640px. This was much needed, as I seem to always be adding content to pages.
  
• You now have forum signatures! The size limit is around 495x125 (the size of my sig). Edit that here
  
• I've started to add content to the Users Page
  
• You can leave other members profile comments! Yes, you will get points. Also, you can make the message "Private" if you wish for only you and the recipient to read the message.
  
• There's a Help Page that I will be updating with basically any questions that arise as I continue to develop the site.
  

Whew! This update was long overdue, but I hope you all enjoy it. Also, check this topic to see what else is to come and suggest your own ideas for me to implement.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=547 exactly how close I am to beta, rejoice! :)

All that's left is finishing up a few NPCs for a town, adding a few neat quests here and there, and--of course--the final event of the chapter.

Optimistically speaking, this weekend I may have something for you all, but more realistically (since there will be minor web-end things to do as well), the weekend afterwards should be good.

Edit: I will also be updating the forums today. They will remain online, so if something isn't working properly that's probably why. ]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=503
Of course, my top priority right now is still a release. Thanks for posting! ]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=482 Chapter Five is just a name given to my next release, which includes the whole game (Prologue through Chapter Five)! :D

The reason I develop the game as a whole and release chapters "bundled" together rather than individually (such as The Way) is because I'm the type of person that's never ever happy with a release. There is always room for improvement and I always will continue to develop not only future chapters but existing ones as well. I understand that this often means saves aren't compatible, but also remember that this is game is not finished! I just want to have something for you guys to play.

If you really haven't played my game, there are several sites that go ahead and host it. You can find it there. But I strongly, strongly urge you to wait.

This summer. Keep an eye open. :]]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=474
In case you're wondering whats up with SU ch. 5, a beta will be available to forum members when things are good and ready.

Until then, thanks for posting. I know things are a little slow right now but this is going to be good. :]]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=426 I'm done with my second year of college.

Now, to find another excuse for release delays... :]]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=369 User CP link.

They are both awesome, so they get 50 forum points each! Check them out, and if you want to make your own skin, download the css files, modify them, and send them back to me.

Squadala~~]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=320
However, the month of April was fairly productive on the web-end, and I feel like going over that all right now.

First off, your forum profile is much more customizable now. You can link to an avatar, add a user title, change skins, and much more.

You can only currently view profiles by clicking on a username in a topic or clicking the View Profile link on the forum menu. That was something drgn_lord50 suggested, and it's a great idea that's in-progress. Soon, you'll be able to leave users comments on their profile, send them private messages, get notifications when topics get new posts, and whatever else I can think of.

Speaking of which, the forum menu is another sort of ongoing part of the website. Your ideas and suggestions always help! (I'm not too great on the menus.)

Lastly, we have bbcode! Most tags such as italics, underline, and strikethrough are implemented. A big thanks goes to Anthony at Way2Web for providing such a great BBCode to HTML tag converter. Regular expressions kill me!

I'm working on sorting out everything into one big page for answering any questions or clarifying any quirks when using the Starless Umbra site. Check that out here. ]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=305
Secondly, a link to Kei's website is now available at the site footer. Have a peek and check it out if you haven't, will you? (It has secksy SU arts!)

I also just wanted to say thanks to everyone that's been posting. I'm slowly but surely working on SU ch5, and I will need beta testers, so let me know if you're interested! Hopefully with that release things won't be so quiet here.

Lastly, if you have any suggestions regarding the fate of the authorless posts (delete them, give them all a uniform author, or whatever) let me know!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=270 http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=261
Also a big thanks to drgn_lord50, who recently donated $10 to the team. Thank you! :D]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=250
You can edit all this from your profile settings, which may be found at the friendly forum header or here:
http://www.starlessumbra.com/usercp.php

In implementing this new system, I was forced to recode a bit of how the forums store data. (Specifically, authors of posts are now integers corresponding to your forum ID rather than a simple string representation of your username, which allows greater array indexing capabilities without doing anything costly like hashing.) Because of this, if you view any topic before this update, there will be no stats on the side of the post. However, I felt I needed to make this revision to my code sooner than later.

Now I need to stop getting these strange urges to work on my website at 4 AM in the morning. Be sure to let me know what you think.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=238
Well, I just wanted to keep you guys updated. My major is KILLING me, but I will still make time for this as soon as possible. You're gonna like the new release. ]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=231
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SsedMp8kIZg&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SsedMp8kIZg&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=229
A BIG thanks to everyone who posts on these forums. I'm glad you're using them, because I put a bit of work into them. Although they lack functionality right now, here are a few things to expect: stats, bbcode, editing profiles, avatars, site skins, and more!

We've also received our first DONATION, but I'm keeping the donator anonymous unless he wants to reveal himself.

In three or four weeks I will hopefully have a beta together for about five people to beta test. Again, the release date is MAY 1 -- I'm getting better about this release date thing. :D
]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=219
(Note: This will be available when chapter five is released--currently it is not available on the version online.)]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=213
-Where I originally had planned to end ch5 doesn't end as well as an earlier spot in the game does.
-There will be a lot of work put into adjusting dialogue, working out bugs, reorganizing the database, adding more optional minigames, and so forth.
-I'm revising several engines and adding new systems/items that will make it worth playing over. Of course, there will be a precreated save file if you aren't interested in starting over.

A shorter release will result in a sooner release date:
MAY 1ST, 2008 to be exact. :)]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=200
- The difficulty descriptors mentioned "DRAGON HEART" still...omg rite? Well, now there are no descriptors.

And that's all! Wait... that's not really a list. But there is a new bug that's bundled with this release as of V.2 that I can't really fix. It involves characters not in your party learning spells that they already have when you get them! Well, because I've made so much progress in Ch.5 and since Ch.5 is, again, a vast improvement on Ch,4, this change will not come into effect until my next major release (Ch.5), which is still scheduled to be done early summer.

Also savefiles most likely will not be compatible once again.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=184 - Fixed the passability issues in the temple
- Revised some of the dialogue
- Fixed the guard at the bridge reappearing bug
- Implemented the Usali Delivery Quest in Entrainment.
I hope you enjoy the latest revision to Starless Umbra!]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=169 http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=168
Because of my lack of a completely thorough playthrough, this has unearthed an error unforeseen to me. The error involves not being able to return back past the bridge to Entrainment and this change will be applied for you all in the next chapter release.

If you backtracked and got stuck, not all is lost. Save your game and email me [user: dragonheartman, domain: gmail.com]the Savexx.lsd file in the game's directory, where xx is the slot you saved in, and I can get you back on-track. Then, as suggested in the walkthrough and ingame, you can head east from Entrainment to Birnam Woods.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=159
http://www.starlessumbra.com/faq.php

Notify me of any errors, give me suggestions, et cetera. I will be rewriting, adding, and revising this a lot.]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=129
Right now it looks like Ch. 5 will be ready early Summer. I haven't decided on an exact date yet but we will see how it goes. The chapter is already planned out, the dialogue is about finished, and I've started on most of the maps and a few minigames and puzzles already.

The way things look I will also be attending Fanime this year. I plan on cosplaying several SU characters with friends and selling cheap merchandise. I'm thinking T-shirts, gamedisks, stickers, and whatever other suggestions I might get.

If you're in Northern California, come swing by Fanime and hang out with us! More info here:

http://www.fanime.com/]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=106
Thank you for posting! x]]]> http://www.starlessumbra.com/view_topic.php?id=83
Feel free to leave any feedback, register, post, and so forth. Happy Holidays!]]>