Plans for V12.8.0

[namida]

With V12.7.0 more or less set in stone at this point, it's time to start thinking about what will happen in V12.8.0. As per the release schedule, V12.8.0 likely won't introduce or change any gameplay features (outside of bugfixes). Instead, the focus will be on cosmetic and UI features.

The two major features for V12.8.0 are:
- High-resolution mode - Complete (testing aside) code-wise, still in progress graphics-wise
- Reimplementation of on-demand style downloading - Complete

This aside, some of the minor things I'd like to consider if time / can-be-bothered-ness permits (and where applicable, there's enough support):
- Projection shadow - Implemented, but buggy
- Facing direction visibility for diggers and blockers
- Improve the fall height ruler for climbers
- Recoloring in certain cases of the time limit and lemming counts
- Outlining and possible recoloring of one-way arrows
- Closing animations for limited-use entrances and exits

[namida]

From Discord:

IchoTolot - Today at 5:01 AM
I think the duplicate, recoloring tileset issue will be a major point for the 12.8.0 version
something needs to happen here

namida - Today at 6:28 AM
i want to make a concrete decision ASAP about what will happen regarding acceptance of new styles that that relates to. i don't mind if we wait a while, or even possibly go with Proxima's "let it happen once online features are in place", for dealing with existing ones
and i do see where Proxima's coming from - if online features are in place, this isn't such a big deal. so if that becomes a successful focus for V12.8, the styles thing is much less of an issue anyway

IchoTolot - Today at 6:40 AM
Yes, the online feature would solve much of it.
Dullstar's recolor variant idea still could help to reduce clutter a bit over time though
I like your solution for the sonic pieces case
auto include related pieces from other styles to the list

[namida]

Updated with a couple of new suggestions that have come up, that I'd like to try and get done.

[namida]

A couple of other nice features I'm working on / have implemented:

- "Overtime" mode. When the time limit runs out, instead of gameplay terminating, you can keep playing - the only catch is that exiters no longer do anything (they just stand there, in front of the exit, frozen), so you can't actually save any more lemmings. This could be useful if you want to see how far you fell short by, or try things out without worrying about the time limit while you're just experimenting. Note, a minor physics change here: While implementing this, I noticed a bug that the game runs for 1 frame more than it should before terminating. The code for this new time limit handling does NOT replicate this bug - it cuts off exactly when it should.

- "Skip to highlit lemming state change". A hotkey that when pressed, jumps forward until the highlit lemming either changes to a new action, or is saved / dies (for the purpose of this, becoming a zombie counts as dying).

[Minim]

- "Overtime" mode. When the time limit runs out, instead of gameplay terminating, you can keep playing - the only catch is that exiters no longer do anything (they just stand there, in front of the exit, frozen), so you can't actually save any more lemmings. This could be useful if you want to see how far you fell short by, or try things out without worrying about the time limit while you're just experimenting.

I like this overtime idea. I think Lix incorporated this too until they scrapped times altogether.

A feature I thought of just came to me about highlit: Two hotkeys that can navigate the highlighter between the previous and next lemming ID. One example where this technique is especially useful is in a tight space where you need certain lemmings to assign skills to guarantee a possible nuke solution. CCX's solution to the Tame 1 new skills challenge comes to mind.

[namida]

A feature I thought of just came to me about highlit: Two hotkeys that can navigate the highlighter between the previous and next lemming ID. One example where this technique is especially useful is in a tight space where you need certain lemmings to assign skills to guarantee a possible nuke solution. CCX's solution to the Tame 1 new skills challenge comes to mind.

Even highlit in and of itself is generally something that's rarely used (though in the cases it is used, it's generally extremely useful to have, so I 100% believe keeping it is justified - and I also suspect the "skip to highlit lemming state change" feature will increase how much it's used, too). So I have to say that I doubt there'd be much demand for the "change highlit lemming" feature. Still, this shouldn't be hard to implement, so I'm open to implementing it anyway if there is enough demand.

[namida]

I can confirm that style download capability will be returning in V12.8.0.

[namida]

All things remaining to address before an RC build can be
- Projection shadow still has bugs
- Cloner pickup save requirement bug (https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=4595.0) - also needs to be backported to a V12.7.4
- Pillar, Bubble one way arrow colors (https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=4348.0)
- Recoloring bug for high-res Xmas sprites (could occur elsewhere too but this is one example of where it happens)
- The directional Digger sprite

These also need to be addressed before stable:
- Changed / high-res sprites - collect and respond to feedback
- L3_Shadow OWW animation (https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=4586.0)
- Fix chalk style sprites (https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=4563.0)

I'll be looking at these things over the next few days and should be on track for an RC release this weekend. Assuming no unforeseen interruptions, the only thing that might not make it for the initial RC build is fixing the remaining bugs with projection shadow (which is a new feature anyway).