Alright, here's the first experimental build for the update. It was proposed to name this "V13.0.0" since it introduces a lot of new features, but I decided against this, as usually, a change to the first number has been used to indicate a significant overhaul of file formats - since adopting the current version numbering, it's only been changed twice, and V11.xx.xx was never released outside of a few experimental builds, so keeping in line with that suggests this should be a new V12.X.X. At the same time, I feel the changes are significant enough that we should at least skip a number - so, V12.6.0 it is.
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-= NL V12.6.0 Changelog =-
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New Major Features
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> Added a new skill, "Shimmier"
> Alpha blending of terrain is now officially supported (though editor support will be lacking for the forseeable future)
> Custom digit graphics can be used with custom pickup skill objects - this is mostly as a side effect of the same feature existing for lemming-limited entrances / exits which are new
> Entrances and exits can have a limited number of lemmings allowed to use them
> Objects can have multiple, semi-independent animations
> Resizable objects can be "nine-sliced", basically, when resizing, a certain border region is not tiled (see eg. default:updraft)
> Terrain grouping is supported
> Up to 10 different skills can be used in a level, instead of 8
New Minor Features
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> A username is stored to replay files, and replays that don't match it will not overwrite your records / progression
> Last-played level is remembered between sessions
> Shortcuts that start NeoLemmix with a specific pack (or even level) can be created
Fixed bugs
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> If some lemming sprites are missing in a custom spriteset, NeoLemmix falls back to default sprites instead of crashing
Style changes
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> Secondary animations added to all official styles, and all of namida's styles
- Failed skill assignments from replays now get queued instead of ignored
- Improvements to the skill icon displays at the start of a level for preplaced lemmings
- Level select menu can no longer be opened while in-game
- Shimmier moved to second slot in skill order
- Fixed bug: Some sound effects are only played on the left channel
- Fixed bug: Backgrounds are discarded when importing old-formats levels (see the original bug report topic if you're still encountering this bug when using your custom translation table files) The editor support is a bit less; there's no editor support for piece grouping in particular.
At this stage, please only report editor bugs if they either result in (a) crashes, (b) significant difficulty with using the editor, or (c) data loss. If it's just "something isn't supported", that is a low priority at the moment.I've tested this a fair bit, but there's still plenty of room for more testing.
Download, including an experimental editor: (Removed, as we now have a V12.6.0 stable release)
This download includes styles that have had modifications for the new version, but not styles that haven't had adjustments yet. (Or in simpler terms - it has the official styles and my styles.) You'll need to get the rest from the usual download or from an existing copy of V12.4.X.
For the avoidance of doubt, I will
not be making updates to the graphic set tool or the pack toolkit. I recommend learning how to modify these files by hand with a text editor; this is not particularly difficult to do, and you are welcome to ask for help on the forums.
With this being said - if anyone else is willing to take over these projects, they are welcome to do so.
If you need help on managing your styles / packs manually, please see these topics:
Guide to styles formats (Includes explanations on using secondary animations!)
Guide to pack / rank structure
Regarding further improvements: As far as the engine goes; major features that are in there now, is what will be in the final release. Further improvements before release will be minor features or bugfixes only. In particular, this means we will not be getting neutral lemmings in V12.6.0 - but the feature has been implemented so it's coming eventually, it's more just not wanting to put out too many things all at once.
You can use the attached tool to quickly add your username to a lot of replays. To use it, put it in your NeoLemmix V12.6.0 (or any future release after this) folder, put the replays you want to fix into a folder called "ReplayFix" (you can have subfolders inside ReplayFix, they don't all have to be directly in the base ReplayFix folder), then run the EXE. Source code is also included in the ZIP, use Lazarus to compile, it'll probably compile in Delphi too if you copy/paste the code into a blank command-line project as (as far as I'm aware) it doesn't use any language or library features that differ between the two.