20071227: Kobo Deluxe 0.5.1 released!

Another release with major content changes! This time it's the sound effects that have been replaced. We now have 33 KB of AGW scripts that render into 1.3 MB of raw waveforms. (Music excluded.) All sound is now algorithmically generated at load time - no sampled or pre-rendered waveforms.

As usual, there are also a few fixes, including an audio engine bug that would cause crashes with certain sound card drivers. Also, a few further tweaks to the new skill levels; health bonus when destroying cores, fewer bonus lives and rocks having twice the health in Newbie mode. Finally, there are a few minor graphics/animation changes.

Download here, ChangeLog here.

20071215: Kobo Deluxe 0.5.0 released!

Just six weeks after 0.4.1 - but there is reason for the version bump: Completely remade graphics. No more blurry scaled low-res artwork!

It's now all 24 bit graphics, drawn for 640x480 mode. (The game is still playable in 320x240 mode.) The original XKobo graphics is no longer used, and some of the newer stuff in 0.4.1 has been replaced (again) as well. Loading screen, fonts, explosions, ships, bullets and other objects - all new. Tumbling rocks, rotating big bosses and spinning red(!) bombs. The bases are now grouped in "areas" of ten stages, each with a unique theme. The old "starry tiles" have become a deep parallax starfield.

Further, there is now support for audio sample rates up to 192 kHz, smarter scaling, optional vsync for OpenGL, smoother animation, layered sprites (bullets always on top), faster framework rendering, support for OpenGL drivers enforcing triple buffering, mouse capture and joystick selection. The new skill levels have been tweaked a little, and there is a "How to play" screen in the intro. Oh, and the usual bunch of tweaks and bug fixes, of course.

BTW, when I released 0.4.1, I actually intended to make a few smaller 0.4.x releases, but the plans were changed due to various events. From now on, I'll probably have time to make smaller releases more often - so please report any issues ASAP!

Now, go here and see if I've just ruined everything, or what. ;-) Full ChangeLog can be found here.

20071107: New web site!

New layout with some actual graphics and stuff. Need to get back up to speed with GIMP, so why not? Hopefully, the XHTML and alpha blended PNGs don't crash too many of these horrible, half-finished "browser" out there. ;-) The site is built in standards compliant XHTML (generated off-line from EEL scripts) and CSS. Contents have been updated a little too, but nothing major.

20071031: Kobo Deluxe 0.4.1 - finally!

Yeah, it's true, it's really here! Right here.

There were several critical bugs, ongoing re-factoring and general chaos - but now order should be restored. 0.4.1 is still very much a work in progress, but at least we're back on track, with a fully functional game. Apart from some visual effects and somewhat improved menus, you'll find some new, higher resolution graphics and four new skill levels with slightly modernized gameplay. (There is a Classic mode for us digital joystick oldies, of course!)

Expect releases on a much tighter schedule from now on, as I've decided it's time to start wrapping this project up. I need to move on, and I want potential contributors to have a complete, stable code base to play around with, after I officially step back from active development.

Have fun, and don't let 'em blue balls get ya'! ;-)

(Old news)