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[IMG News]

Basilisk Games has released information about the upcoming release of version 1.04 of Eschalon: Book II, the company's fantasy RPG. The update will include several bug fixes, more language support, and some balance changes. It is also likely the last update before the company releases add-on content for the game.

Version 1.04 will, of course, contain all the latest bug fixes. While there aren't many major bugs left, a few of the bugs have caused some general playability issues for people using Linux. The game is exceptionally stable in current version 1.03, so 1.04 will just be a bit of clean up.

More importantly, 1.04 will have support for other languages. Currently we have Russian, French, Spanish and Slovakian translations in the works by fans. These initial translations will just be game text only, which includes narration, books, dialog, and spell/potion descriptions. This should be enough for most people to fully enjoy the game- future versions of the game will likely have additional text translated such as the interface graphics and messages generated by the system.

I hope to be able to include several of these languages with the 1.04 release, however if the translations take much longer to produce then I'll just release 1.04 without some of them. Users can drop-in new "language packs" as they are released. If you are interested in translating the game into a specific language, please contact us.

In addition, 1.04 may have a few balance adjustments as well. I am playing around with some of the settings now based on feedback from all of you. More info on this when 1.04 is released, which is scheduled for the end of June.

Beyond 1.04.... Once 1.04 is out, we should have a stable platform for which we can merge in the add-on content. This will likely take 6-8 weeks to complete and will be released with version 1.05 of the game.

Head over to the page below for more information.

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[Sargiel]

Sounds good but has got me curious now though as to what the add-on content will be  

[Eric5h5]

Sargiel, on 11 June 2010 - 12:48 PM, said:

Sounds good but has got me curious now though as to what the add-on content will be  

I went through the bother of blasting through a wall yesterday and found a staircase in a passageway beyond, only to have the game not let me go down there.  So maybe they're filling in those areas?  Now I wonder if I should stop playing until 1.05 is out....

--Eric

[the Battle Cat]

Eric5h5, on 11 June 2010 - 05:20 PM, said:

I went through the bother of blasting through a wall yesterday and found a staircase in a passageway beyond, only to have the game not let me go down there.  So maybe they're filling in those areas?  Now I wonder if I should stop playing until 1.05 is out....

--Eric

I did the same thing and I'm wondering the same thing.

[Kilvain]

Here are a few quotes from the Basilisk Games forums about the add-on content

BasiliskWrangler said:

There are two places in the in the game world where you will get this specific message: "There is nothing more in this direction. Turn back - your fate awaits elsewhere." The stairs in Farrock Caves are one of them. These two "go nowhere" places are connection points for a big add-on content adventure I have planned for later this summer.

Fathamurk is one of the add-on areas.

Level 30 is the maximum for Book II.

However, I do not know if Book II (as it is now) has enough XP needed to make it that high.

We have plans for a high-level add-on later this summer to take players closer to that level cap.

[Eric5h5]

Yeah, I'm leaning toward putting this on hold and starting over when 1.05 comes out.  I was kind of miffed that I managed to spend a lot of skill points getting the exact skills that I could have just bought for 100 gold a little later in the game anyway.

--Eric

[the Battle Cat]

There are other annoyances in this game too.  You have to have food and water, yet food and water is too scarce to do a lot of exploring and backtracking and experimenting.  And why have weather adversely affect your game unless you just want to annoy the player?  Since when did annoyance=fun?  If you turn these things off you are hugely penalized.  Why penalize a player who doesn't want to be annoyed?  It's so far from the pure fun of the first game, I've hardly played it at all ... just during times there is nothing else to do.

Eric, where do I go to buy skills?  It's not fun enough to want to explore to find out myself.

[Eric5h5]

the Battle Cat, on 12 June 2010 - 09:23 AM, said:

There are other annoyances in this game too.  You have to have food and water, yet food and water is too scarce to do a lot of exploring and backtracking and experimenting.

I thought that might be annoying at first, but isn't actually a problem after all.  If you have some points in foraging, that helps, and my character got enough food before I stopped playing that I hadn't bought any from merchants for quite a while.  I spent most of my play time exploring and backtracking in fact, not following the main story much.  I never came close to running out of water, since your waterskin holds enough that you can go for quite a few days between wells.

Quote

And why have weather adversely affect your game unless you just want to annoy the player?

Does it adversely affect the game?  I thought it was just an effect.

Quote

Eric, where do I go to buy skills?  It's not fun enough to want to explore to find out myself.

Port Kuudad, to the northeast; also I found a trainer in Wolfenwoods.  That was one of my unfavorite things from Book I too, where you have to spend 3 points getting a new skill, but can just buy one for only 100 gold if you find a trainer.  So you can get penalized quite a lot if you happen to guess "wrong" about which skills to get in the beginning, before you find some trainers.  I mostly enjoy the Eschalon games, but I think they need to work on the game design a little more.  And also actually finish the content before releasing the game next time....

--Eric

[Kilvain]

BasiliskWrangler said:

(The add-on) will just be (a free) extended dungeon with some very hard foes, designed for very high-level players. It will not continue the main storyline in anyway.

More information about trainers and training books (there are books for all but three of the skills, and trainers for about half of the skills) can be found at this LINK. And links to a variety of useful information and tips at this LINK. There are no doubt spoilers at the links above so click wisely.

[the Battle Cat]

Eric5h5, on 12 June 2010 - 12:03 PM, said:

Does it adversely affect the game?  I thought it was just an effect.

Yes, you need to train in a skill to overcome this adversity.  

Eric5h5, on 12 June 2010 - 12:03 PM, said:

Port Kuudad, to the northeast; also I found a trainer in Wolfenwoods.  That was one of my unfavorite things from Book I too, where you have to spend 3 points getting a new skill, but can just buy one for only 100 gold if you find a trainer.  So you can get penalized quite a lot if you happen to guess "wrong" about which skills to get in the beginning, before you find some trainers.  I mostly enjoy the Eschalon games, but I think they need to work on the game design a little more.  And also actually finish the content before releasing the game next time....

--Eric

Thank you!

Kilvain, on 12 June 2010 - 04:14 PM, said:

More information about trainers and training books (there are books for all but three of the skills, and trainers for about half of the skills) can be found at this LINK. And links to a variety of useful information and tips at this LINK. There are no doubt spoilers at the links above so click wisely.

Thank you!