Beta 0.413 Released (water mode)!

[x4000]

Full release notes: http://arcengames.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Tidalis_-_0.413_Beta_Release

The main new feature here is water mode, which is by far the more complex modes we've had to implement.  We've been talking about this since practically the start of Tidalis, and internally code has been being shuffled about for it for months, but we finally bit the bullet and actually implemented this thing. 

There may be a few kinks in the physics that still need to be sorted out, but overall this is feeling really clean and it's really fun to play.  The bubble block was always intended to be primarily for this mode, so it's nice that it now has more of a purpose!  The new water fish and water balloon blocks are also only for this mode or puzzle mode, so you won't see them in the normal item selection palette in the custom game window.

There have been some other changes, such as to the adventure map and to the music tracks of Volcano and Foothills (check those out!  so cool).  We've also implemented yet more behind-the-scenes work for the networking, so that's getting closer and closer.  Exciting release!

[Ixiohm]

Great job! I really like the two new action modes However, now there are so many new kinds of blocks that it would be really useful to get tool tip for the items you have collected in the same manner as you get a tool tip when hovering over the action mode icon. I also notice how I quickly collect a bunch of undesired items (lightning bolt, turnips, stones...) maybe it is time for the introduction of the garbage can block

I have also noticed a couple of potential bugs; I will fold them in the bug section.

[x4000]

For the item tooltips, that's not something that is really feasible because it would be constantly in the way during normal gameplay, but we are very aware of the challenge to which you're referring.  To address that, we're going to be adding a new Help button that will provide context-sensitive lists of items and blocks and such so that players can easily get information (refreshers or first-time, heh) on anything on the screen.  Some folks don't even know what Fast Forward, etc, does, so we're concisely wrapping in as much as we can to that; hopefully will have that out today, we'll see.

For the items that are unwanted in item clear mode, that's part of the challenge -- seriously, that was intended, that's why those are in there.

[Ixiohm]

Making the help tooltips optional sounds good to me, I would probably not want them after playing a few games myself either As for the undesirable items, I felt that answer coming However, I will still think of them as annoying at best, and prefer them to clog my inventory rather than use them, I would possibly use turnips but not big boulders as they putt you significantly worse off. A "trash can" boulder could work with the overall strategy, a bit like a reset, you lose all your current blocks but get a can 'o beans.

[x4000]

Well, with the items, bear in mind that you only have 5 slots total, which you may not have known (based on that other thread).  So you basically have to use those items in order to clear inventory slots.  That's where the difficulty comes in, otherwise this mode would be supremely easy -- you have to use enough of the "bad" items to make it so that you have free inventory slots for the better items, but at the same time you need to not use so many of those items that you kill yourself.

Having those inventory slots be more clear should really help with this...