Update: This release introduced a bug that breaks rendering if you've disabled instancing in the options menu. Please turn instancing on if you are affected.
Changes
- Added fullscreen mode to the Windows version (Press F11).
- Fixed performance issues on Windows when a gamepad is not connected.
- Fixed being unable to drop items on squares where a destroyed green wall used to stand.
- New graphics and graphical fixes
- New objects
- Fixed an intermittent crash bug when drawing the level.
- Fixed a bug in the instancing code. If you have instancing turned off because of bugs, try turning it on again.
- Fix the fill tool in the editor sometimes not working when filling areas towards the outside of the level.
- Level pit: You now need to beat a level before you can watch other people's replays for it.
- Blackshift's cache directory is now limited to a maximum number of files and will not just grow forever. The cache directory is used to store Level Pit levels so they don't need to be downloaded each time.
Triple thumbs up!
ReplyDeletePerformances are definitely better on my side.
Just one thing about the new look of the door though... The red one looks like a Christmas present, you can't keep it like that!
But, as yellow is complementary to blue, the blue one looks really classy like that.
Thanks! I actually changed the doors by accident, and forgot to change them back. Real pro here.
DeleteNice work! Kewl that the blue bullets change the mushrooms to blue bullets!
ReplyDeleteI am still crashing whenever my ship gets killed - every time! I am sure you have seen the crash reports. I may have to download from scratch again, delete all my folders except the cache and start over. Can you put up the latest on the download page so I don't have to go thru multiple downloads? I have a satellite modem that is almost as slow as a 56K modem! :(
ReplyDeleteYer gonna get a lot of crash reports tonite while I figure this out!
ReplyDeleteDeleting the level which I spent a lot of time making which used your blue deflectors. Making another. I have screen saved the level so, I can reproduce it.
DeleteHoly crap, that crash deleted all my levels in my cache! Cool! I broke your secondary!
DeleteHmmm does this mean that you can't upload new levels right now?
ReplyDeleteShouldn't do. What's the problem?
DeleteCan't upload new levels, cache is empty. Will uninstall and start clean. This may take a few hours! I broke the game with my last level which has disappeared!
DeleteWhat happens when you try to upload a new level?
DeleteAlso if your cache is empty, you don't have any levels to upload.
It crashes. I have uninstalled Blackshift and will re-install from scratch. I deleted everything so the game does not exist on my computer right now.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I am back building although I really hate it when I spend 6 hours building and testing a level and losing it!
ReplyDeleteThat sucks man, I feel your pain. I've built big levels for the main game and had Blackshift crap out on me. Glad you're sticking with it. I'll try to get us out of Alpha ASAP.
DeleteI'm gonna try something and see if it crashes again. Ignore my crash reports if I do. I did save the file I was working on!
DeleteHa ha ha ha, got her back but missing some stuff. Will fix it up, test it and get back to you. Instancing a bit of a problem now while it worked before. Hmmmm!
ReplyDeleteInstancing is the real pain point right now.
DeleteIt makes stuff really fast, and it's a perfect fit for games like Blackshift.
But, you can only do it on graphics cards made in the last 10 years or so.
So, I added it as an option so you can turn it on and off.
And now I'm discovering the way I was switching it on and off isn't really what you're supposed to do — I'm supposed to make two versions of every shader, one with instancing and one without.
Also, it turns out the latest release doesn't work properly with instancing turned off, because I didn't turn it off to test.
As I see it, I have a few choices:
1. Remove instancing support entirely and take the performance hit
2. Remove support for old computers (>10 years) and have some unhappy users
3. Maintain two versions of every shader and take on the additional maintenance burden
Excuse my rambling... just thinking out loud, really.
I went to OpenGL and turned off instancing. That gave me a blank screen with white outlined square representing whatever! With OpenGL and instancing on, it seems to work. Ignore my crash reports for a bit!
DeleteYep, current version is broken with instancing off.
DeleteObie10 is now up. I just crashed again. If anyone crashes on this level, post it here!
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ReplyDeleteRobert, to answer your question, I created a level but the cosmic rays interfere every time I try to publish it. Obie, did uninstalling/reinstalling Blackshift do the trick?
ReplyDeleteI still need to add auto-reporting of Cosmic Rays errors. But, Blackshift should put a debug.log file on your desktop when they happen, if you can send me that I should be able to see what the problem is.
Delete(It's Robin btw.)
Re-installing helped - still crashing but not as much. I had to switch back to OpenGL. No more cosmic rays.
DeleteRob, debug.log no longer on my desktop! Used to be there!
Deletehah. Rob... THAT's what I once saw Obie call you. OK I sent you the debug file.
DeleteWell, there is either a problem in Houston or my acer Win8.1 is a piece of crap. I have crashed so many times today and even on your level board Robin!
DeleteHowever, the blue bullet components are awesome and it is part of a level I made in the original BlackShift which is part 5 of Obie10. Part 5 is actually much bigger and more complicated and includes Part 4 which I had to modify because the bullets are too slow.
Hope you can figure this out - can't figure out why the debug.log doesn't show up????
lol Rob's fine too but Robert is right out!
DeleteObie: I think this update was just a bit of a mess really. I'm going to remove instancing entirely next update. Hopefully the speed hit won't be too bad, and it'll simplify things loads on my side.
As for your debug.log, I don't know! The one time I need it it disappears! Bloody typical. It's only useful when you get Cosmic Rays errors which are usually level pit related.
Glad you're enjoying the blue bullets!
I am going to try this and uninstall blackshift and use an older installer. Maybe I can get the debug back. It may take some time as I am not sure how many updates you had since then. The debug.log always showed up before. Sometimes it got really big so I deleted it a few times.
ReplyDeleteDon't waste your time! Even if you install with an older installer, the game will just update itself as soon as you run it.
DeleteAre you getting "Cosmic Rays" errors? The debug.log only helps with those.
In the next update I will make sure debug.log goes into the Logs folder, rather than just getting dumped wherever.
Went back to November - upgrades 1 of 13! This is gonna take a bit! LOL
DeleteHa ha! Obie you tragic hero! Oh well, I guess we'll see if my updater can handle 13 updates at once.
DeleteNope - missing archetype - fail!!!
DeleteOops looks like my first level Bonsai is flawed. You see... You're supposed to get all frustrated and die a bunch. I think I might know how Obie feels all the time now...
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel any better, I did still die a bunch.
DeleteAs soon as I played your level Bobby, I crashed. But, I solved the debug.log problem. I simple put an empty file called debug.log on my desktop and blackshift filled in the blanks. Sending it soon Rob! Ha ha!
Deleteit interesting you crash all the time. I've only crashed once and it was because i was watching a replay of an old level that could no longer be beaten because the trees were changed to green pegs.
DeleteThe green pegs work now to place stuff on it. Try it again. Crashing might be because of my $hit assed portable acer. Will try again on my main unit on Monday!
DeleteObie10 hints. Level 4, shove the portable exploder in the middle level, go down the other level it was standing on (be quick). Level 5, save the dynamite with the deflector I pointed out. Re-direct the gun with the blue/orange changer. Figure it out!
ReplyDeleteBTW, Obie10 is bibby/Bobby proof methinks. I designed it that way. Next stop, an easy level for noobs. Obie won!
ReplyDelete