This is a small update limited to important bugfixes and some QoL upgrades. I couldn't get the new side quest done, and there is an interesting reason why, which I can show you: [previewyoutube=spVKqDiUwYE;full][/previewyoutube] This was my bedroom after a large concrete chimney blew over and smashed into it during a week of non-stop rain and the highest winds this place has ever seen. Most significantly, it left a very large hole in my roof through which water continued to pour in for several days, during which it was too dangerous to even attempt to fix. Much time was spent with buckets, bailing endless amounts of water out of the bedroom. Here you can see the bastard the next morning, just lying on top of the roof:
Bits of smashed roof tiles and concrete were everywhere:
By the time we finally managed to tear out enough of the ceiling to expose the hole, I was too frazzled to take a proper picture. Only after it was fixed did I have the wherewithal to snap this one:
(Orange tiles are original. Grey blocks are new, showing the size of the hole.) While the roof is now patched, the ceiling will take a while longer to fix. As you might imagine, this little adventure has wiped out most of my spare time and energy, which is why I decided to upload a smaller update rather than push things back again. At the very least I've managed to implement some important bugfixes, and a nice little Quality of Life feature that properly reflects your changing stats when equipping/unequipping items:
That's all I've got for now. Let's hope April allows for more progress! v0.7.6.2 Changelog:

• # Fixed getting stuck in hub interactions
• # Fixed train yard boss story choices not working
• # Fixed chapter 2 being unreachable in some situations
• # Fixed story segments getting stuck occasionally
• # Fixed crash when accessing menu during inventory tutorial
• # Fixed inventory tutorial window being shown erroneously
• # Fixed train yard tunnel animation
• # Improved deck view stat readout behaviour
• # Added stat readout on inventory screen

To put it simply, the next version is not yet ready for prime time. Please stay tuned for a proper update in March, featuring a new early-game side quest with unique environments and a new boss.

There have been a few significant updates to the game in the last month, but the really big news of this update is actually about me. As promised in December I can now make this happy announcement: I've accepted a position as Lead Writer at GrapeOcean Technologies, the creators of Black Geyser: Couriers of Darkness. I will be taking charge of narrative for their future Baldur's Gate-style RPGs (and helping out on some upcoming Black Geyser DLC). https://store.steampowered.com/app/1374930/Black_Geyser_Couriers_of_Darkness Over the years I've written quite a few games, RPGs included... but it's been a childhood dream to do a full Baldur's Gate-like with a budget, ever since I played Baldur's Gate itself in 1998. So this is a huge deal for me, especially after what a struggle the last few years have been. What, I hear you ask, will this mean for Zone? To be honest I can't say for sure. Certainly I'll have less free time to work on it. On the other hand, I'll be able to afford new art which has been our biggest bottleneck in recent months, and I'm hoping to make some business connections which could mean a massive boost in so many ways. Obviously I won't be giving up on Zone. I've been at it for 5 years so far, it remains my baby, and I won't stop until it's done. Not to mention I take seriously the promises I've made to you who have supported us on this long journey. The dream lives because of you. So let's talk about what's new with the game. The biggest change has been on story segments, which have been unacceptably unstable so far. Thanks to player bug reports I've decided to do a major rework of this old and nasty code, replacing a large chunk of it wholesale. You may notice a difference in how it responds to your clicks; the whole mess is now rather more solid than it used to be. I've also taken another step forward on controller support, which should make the research tree in particular a little easier to operate. Beyond that, there have been some more balance changes, new buffs/debuffs, fixed side-quests, and new features for the consumables system. Check the changelog below for the full nitty-gritty. Anyway, I've gone on long enough for one update. Thank you for being here, and wish me luck. See you in the Zone! Changelog:

• First iteration of controller support on Research screen
• Automatic food selection now prioritises item with lowest food value
• Partially consumed food now properly saves its cash value as 0
• Better Intent icons for Stunned/Idle/Preparing enemies
• Added new buff vulnerabilities to some enemies
• New automatic error-detection system for story files -- story crashes should be much rarer from now on
• Major refactoring of story segment code
• Implemented multi-use consumables
• Slicers now have 2 uses & increased cash value
• New research options
• Fixed save game corruption related to item stashes
• Fixed softlock/crash when using Alley
• Fixed softlock/crash in Discretion Required quest
• Fixed softlock/crash in Sending a Message quest
• Fixed softlock/crash in Hunter's Bequest quest
• Hermit conversation can now be ended properly
• Fixed potential error in Power Plant cave encounter
• Fixed potential errors in Wharf ship encounter
• Side quests Cyn's Favour, Extermination and Rare Delights now properly appear in the Jobs list
• Ambush option in Wharf whale Opportunity now gives a proper resolution
• Performance optimisation on story segments
• Fixed intermittent problem in Options menu
• Fixed transition arrow pop-up not displaying sometimes
• Alley in Esper is now enabled during Chapter 1

I didn't get as much done on Zone as I would've liked this month. However, that's not necessarily bad news... Big things are afoot which could mean immense benefits to both the game and me personally. Will post more details when I know more. So what's new in this update? I shall tell you! For one, we now have a proper tutorial which fully delves into the inventory system. This was a real necessity, based on all the feedback from players. For two, we've got a couple of brand-new side quests which try out some fresh quest mechanics. Should add to the fun. For three, there's a whole new class of consumables which will give temporary buffs and other benefits.
(For those tough battles where you need a little extra edge...) I really like this mechanic. Still working on more unique combinations, like consumables that can grant you temporary cards, and other fun ideas. Of course, all this is to say nothing of all the bugs that were found and fixed, of which there were many. A big thank-you to everyone who bothered to report issues -- you make my life just a little bit easier. In closing... Please, please, please continue to report and give feedback. I need that stuff badly. Your effort helps to keep the game alive. Until the next update, I hope to see you out there... in the Zone. v0.7.5.9.1 Changelog:

• New step-by-step Inventory tutorial when starting new game
• New dialogue for Spatial Artifact quest delivery
• New side quests
• Added menu option for enabling/disabling tutorials
• Added support for temporary status effects lasting a limited number of combats
• New consumables that give temporary status effects
• Refactored & expanded combat status effects
• Major overhaul on quest log
• Better tooltip behaviour in research and inventory screens
• Various tweaks & fixes on battle tutorial
• Tutorial battles no longer bug out if player loses
• Fixed crashes during Chapter 2/3 story
• Fixed dialogue choices not working in Corporal's Bequest quest
• Fixed infinite dialogue loop in Corporal's Bequest
• Fixed potential crash when loading battle scene
• Top-left menu buttons should no longer get confused during battle
• Fixed missing battle background during Chapter 2/3 story
• Fixed market being unclickable during some story segments
• Fixed intro combat not triggering in some circumstances
• Fixed rare dialogue freeze
• Fixed some card sounds looping
• Fixed occasional control malfunction after death
• Tweaked difficulty on train yard roach combat
• Player should no longer be unable to move after loading

Since our last few updates have suffered delays, I decided to push one out a little early for once! There's a few new features I'm excited about in this update, though probably the most effort has gone into testing and bugfixing. (Shout-outs to zdenbartal for reporting a bunch of issues I wasn't aware of.) As a result, you can see the changelog has a whole laundry list of things that now work properly. I also dropped the health on a couple of bosses to prevent big difficulty spikes. You, our players, have so much power to change the game for the better -- just by leaving feedback and positive reviews. So don't hold back! Now, a preview of the new stuff:
(Ooh, what do all the shiny new icons do?!) The promised revamp of the research tree has officially begun. I'm still fleshing it out, but there's already been significant changes, especially the introduction of class-unique options that unlock more cards and bonuses. Whether you're a Kinetic, Telepath or Augmenter, you'll find a couple of strong upgrades waiting for you that should make a significant difference to how each class feels to play. And if you don't like your choices, there is now an easy and clearly-marked way to respec mid-game. Next month will probably see a lot of work on controller support, and a more comprehensive tutorial for the inventory. It's been far too common for players to not know how to use consumables, or end up struggling with the interface in some other way, making it an issue that I badly need to address. After all, an indie game that's not accessible to new players is dead on arrival. Time will tell how far I get in one month. For now... Happy Stalking, and I'll see you all in the Zone! v0.7.5.6 Changelog:

• Cleaned up research tree
• New research options
• Class-unique research options
• Card removal & respec functionality
• Improved quest data management
• Adjusted difficulty on several bosses (Train Yard, Down the Hatch)
• New abilities on mutant prawn boss
• Back-end changes and improvements to status effects
• Fixed Chapter 2 ending scene not triggering properly
• Fixed problems with certain area triggers
• Fixed unlockable dialogue not unlocking
• Fixed potential crash when entering/leaving indoor areas
• Fixed crashes in quest log
• Fixed quest hint button activating improperly
• Fixed intermittent problem with quests
• Fixed intermittent problem with loading saves
• Fleeing from train yard boss no longer locks you into the encounter
• Fixed several problems with market UI
• Fixed voice beeps continuing infinitely when returning to main menu
• Fixed freeze/crash when clicking through dialogue quickly
• Fixed other dialogue crashes
• Fixed resistances/immunities not working in some cases
• Fixed certain animations showing in the wrong place
• Several fixes to Cyn's Favour quest
• AoE debuffs now spawn multiple animations properly
• Player kick pose is now handled properly
• Finishing a side job no longer moves inventory items to Storage
• Fixed side job upgrade buttons appearing in the wrong place
• Overturned train in train yard no longer confuses scanner
• All rabbit hole shortcuts now work properly
• Extermination quest building in Wharf can no longer be entered prematurely
• Displayed cash value is now consistent for equipped items
• Fleeing now subtracts the correct amount of resources
• Slightly improved odds of fleeing combat
• Resisted debuffs are now shown properly

Just a quick fix for research, which had some broken development stuff accidentally left in.

At long last, I present our much-delayed update: version 0.7.5. A nice, round milestone number for a chunky update full of all-new content. The primary focus on this one was Writing. The main plot is advanced by another extended scene; probably the last major development before the main plotlines diverge.
(Look! 3 NPCs on screen at the same time! Had to rip out and completely replace an embarrassing amount of janky old code to make this work...) Speaking of plot divergence, there are two possible ways I can develop the rest of the game: 1. Try to write all three plotlines simultaneously, really slowly, and release everything in a big 1.0, OR 2. Complete them one at a time, in order, with a 1.0 release once the third plotline is complete (what I like to term the smart way). I'm planning to go the smart way, although if anyone has a contrary opinion, I'd be curious to hear it. On top of the story stuff, a number of new music tracks are sprinkled around the game, more SFX and ambient sounds, and an important extension to the research tree which will make Science continue to be useful all the way into the late game. Hopefully soon I can do a proper expansion of the research tree with lots more abilities to unlock. Which brings me to my final point: Ideas! I want yours! Is there an ability you'd like to have? A research topic that's conspicuously missing? An artifact you think would be cool? Perhaps even a concept for a new anomaly? I'd like to know about it! I've made a pinned thread on the discussion boards where you can post anything your evil little minds can conjure up: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1299540/discussions/0/4692279782566059248/ Don't be shy -- we're very open to brainstorms right now. That's all I've got for this month. Until the next update... Stay safe, and happy Stalking! Changelog:

• Wrote and implemented a large chunk of Act 3
• Wrote and implemented special event after finishing Power Plant
• More dialogue for Louis and Dominica
• Completely rewrote dialogue bubble code -- system now supports any number of NPCs on screen at once
• Greatly expanded functionality for story character positioning & movement
• Completely rewrote Esper interaction handling
• Game will no longer get confused about which part of the story you're in
• Added buyable quest hints in quest log
• Fixed fast dialogue behaviour
• Sped up timing on some conversations
• New unique music for several boss fights & story segments
• New sounds for rewards/quest progress
• New sounds for battle UI, some cards & enemies
• Better normalisation on music tracks
• Added more ambient sounds in Wharf biome
• Fixed missing music when loading into story segments
• Fixed some audio looping issues
• Fixed sounds on Prawn boss
• Small TTS variety improvements
• Fixed Buzzard's sound & animation going out of sync
• New research topics
• Infinitely repeatable research topics with exponential costs
• Fixed certain research upgrades being erroneously reapplied on load (Rad Flush etc.)
• More new cards
• Replaced a lot of nasty temp art
• Fixed crash when opening quest log
• Fixed battle crash
• Fixed issue during void storm event
• Fixed Allison's expressions not showing
• All Ailments now properly show on the Passives bar
• Added tutorial entry for Passives bar
• Fixed HP bar readout during side jobs
• Fixed error on Fountain card text (should be Bleeding, not Poison)
• Fixed cards/passives box jumping around on item tooltips
• Player battle sprite can no longer double up
• Upgraded to Godot 3.6 stable release
• Phase 1 of localisation support

• Fixed crash in Chapter 2 ending
• Fixed crash in Power Plant exterior after defeating Wharf and Power Plant bosses
• Fixed Power Plant exterior Fog of War not covering whole area
• Fixed crashes on area transitions/freeing up memory
• Fixed Spray Can not appearing in Power Plant
• Fixed Irradiated debuff turning victims too bright
• Fixed Rufus's Lifeline quest triggering inappropriately
• Fixed music not playing on load in certain areas
• Fixed rabbit hole pop-up behaviour

In short, a known Steamworks bug is preventing me from uploading new builds of the game. I've been holding off on posting about it since I figured they'd get it fixed fairly soon, but it's been a number of days already and I have no idea how much longer this situation will go on for. As I said, Steam support know about it, apparently I'm not the only one who's having this problem, and at the moment the only guidance from them is to keep trying in the hopes that this time it magically doesn't fail. Of course, on my shitty internet, each upload attempt takes an hour. steamfacepalm Will post a proper game update when I manage to get the new build live.

I've been getting a lot done, not least of which is completely ripping out several janky old systems and replacing them with ones that actually work... and even more importantly, a significant push on the main plot. The downside is it's so big that I can't get it all done in time for a September update. So instead of releasing half an update with a lot of the good stuff cut out 'cause it's not ready, I've decided to push the whole thing back by 1 week, give or take a few days. Thanks for your patience, everybody. See you in October!

Quick fix for some critical issues as well as a few smaller ones:

• Fixed crash in Chapter 2 ending
• Fixed crash in Power Plant exterior after defeating Wharf and Power Plant bosses
• Fixed Power Plant exterior Fog of War not covering whole area
• Fixed crashes on area transitions/freeing up memory
• Fixed Spray Can not appearing in Power Plant
• Fixed Irradiated debuff turning victims too bright
• Fixed Rufus's Lifeline quest triggering inappropriately
• Fixed music not playing on load in certain areas
• Fixed rabbit hole pop-up behaviour

Plenty of progress this month, particularly in the realm of bugfixing. Many issues were uncovered and solved with this patch. Of course I haven't been slacking on new content either! For existing saves already in Chapter 2, you'll soon find your way into a new side quest involving Rufus the trader -- with permanent consequences based on your performance and your decisions. New quests, new art, new enemies, new polish. Lastly, a fair bit of work has gone into better tutorials, as well as extending controller support. The Jobs board now has custom controls, and the cursor is much more accurate on screens which still use it. Custom controls will be forthcoming on the rest of the side job UI too. Next update I'm hoping to show off a new and improved Train Yard without the constant level transitions imposed by the old system. Tweaked art is taking a while and I'm struggling with the camera, but soon... There are a few other non-critical issues left on my TODO list, but once they're sorted, I'll be able to get cracking on more weird and wonderful things for you to experience out in the Zone... Please remember to report any issues you encounter on the discussions board! I will fix them if you do. Changelog:

• Power Plant boss final art & animation completed
• New enemies and enemy distribution in Power Plant
• New controller interface for Jobs board
• Finished Hunter's Bequest side quest and alternate path
• Finished Rufus's Lifeline side quest and alternate path
• Much more accurate controller cursor
• Fixed story crashes in Chapter 2-3 & side quests
• Fixed dialogue options appearing at inappropriate times
• Improved story stability all round
• Fixed crash during radiation sickness alert
• Fixed crash during battle repositioning
• Fixed crash when finishing certain quests
• Fixed crash in quest log when viewing certain quests
• Fixed many potential memory leaks
• Fixed radiation sickness ailments being applied improperly
• Fixed some problems with animations looping
• Enemy HP bars & other UI are no longer recoloured on certain battle backgrounds
• Improved Esper event behaviour
• Added sounds for card dragging & targeting
• Renamed Points of Interest to Opportunities
• Refactored Opportunity item pickup behaviour
• Fixed item stash sprite not appearing
• Made item stashes more visible
• Updated & clarified Side Jobs tutorial
• Better colours on Jobs board
• Refactored enemy battler code
• Fixed some Hospital anomalies

After last month's massive update, this one needs to be a touch more humble... but still features some major news. The biggest change is, we're introducing a shiny Fog of War system. From now on you'll need to properly explore and uncover areas, and you can see your progress as you go -- progress which will be stored in your saved games.
This also makes the scanner more useful as it will help to keep you pointed you in the right directions. Other highlights include new hand-crafted art and animations for the Power Plant boss, and a much more comprehensive battle tutorial. This tutorial will go into detail about important mechanics of which even veteran players might not be fully aware. Lastly, we're raising the price of the game by $1 in consideration of all the new content. There's a lot more game now than there was, and I believe the price should reflect the year of hard work we've put in. For the next update I intend to focus on introducing several new enemies and, particularly, writing -- two half-implemented side quests need to be finished up, and there is progress to be made on the main quest as well. As always, please report any issues you come across, and I shall fix them ASAP! PS. If you happen to know anyone who might be interested in helping with art, game design, or marketing/promotion, do tell them to get in touch. It would make a big difference. Changelog:

• New interactive battle tutorial
• Persistent Fog of War on exploration map
• New art & mechanics for Power Plant boss
• Engine update to Godot 3.6 RC1
• Added visible numbers when gaining Shield, damaging Shield, and healing
• New backgrounds and replaced temp backgrounds for some battles
• Reworked area transition system
• Reworked combat positioning, with new abilities for some enemies
• Added Falloff card property
• Added TTS to research screens
• Fixed crash on Power Plant boss attack
• Fixed rare softlock when loading
• Fixed problems with Scanner & improved performance
• Some general fixes to card tips
• Some intro rewrites for brevity
• Fixed buff durations showing in the wrong place on some cards
• Removed unreliable item encountered mechanic
• Fixed player buffs not showing on combat start
• Fixed Slimed and other cards not respecting Unchanging property
• Fixed some shader issues in Power Plant boss room
• Fixed some audio issues in Power Plant boss room
• Fixed erroneous voice ticks in PoIs
• Fixed occasional problems with Stamina readout
• Fixed superfluous damage numbers showing on rare occasions
• Visual improvements to some Power Plant rooms
• Inventory now properly defaults to Storage if no Pack equipped
• Various new, clearer icons
• Better normal map loading for some battle backgrounds
• Added controller version of area transition hint

Quick fix for a couple of critical issues:

• Fixed Story intro gang fight not triggering
• Items now properly unequip when starting new Story
• Fixed broken PoI on defeated Core

Why is this month's update so late, you ask? Because it's bloody massive, that's why. Zone's Early Access release is 1 year old this month, and I wanted to make it something special. All 25(!) rooms of the Power Plant are now in, most with their own unique encounters, including a special challenging boss room. Add to that whole slew of new features, items, cards and all sorts.
Some of the art assets are temp and still need brushing up as our artists couldn't get them done in time for June -- but that shouldn't take much away from the experience. It's been a hell of a year. Didn't make as much progress as I wanted to, but then, when does an indie dev ever? What I do know is I'm still here plugging away and will continue to do so until this game is finished. As always, if you find anything broken, please report it and I'll take care of it immediately. Enjoy a big new chunk of the Zone! Changelog:

• 20+ new areas in Power Plant
• New PoIs, items, cards, ailments and abilities
• New debuffs and radiation effects
• New research options for radiation
• Fixed crash when opening card view outside combat
• Top right bar now opens and closes reliably
• Fixed issues with acquiring Ailments
• Fixed Ailments not saving/loading properly
• Fixed timers not resuming after opening Options
• Fixed various intermittent bugs
• Fixed radiation being added while gameplay is paused
• Fixed combat tooltips not showing buff amounts/durations
• Added voice beep to explore encounters
• Ambient audio now pauses while Options menu is open
• Screen no longer jumps when transitioning between exploration areas
• Better shader overlay for Power Plant
• Fixed potential crash when leaving Points of Interest
• Fixed several problems with item stashes
• Rewrote Points of Interest handler code
• Added Options slider to customise audio balancing
• Fixed audio balancing for TTS SAM in Options menu
• TTS audio balancing is now faster
• TTS SAM now obeys voice volume settings
• Fixed TTS setting changes not saving/loading properly
• Fixed several audio sources not obeying volume settings
• Fixed Amethyst Ring equipping to wrong location
• Card buttons now show at proper size in research UI
• Fixed visual layering issues with several Burner anomalies

I tell you, I hate level design -- but I'm so damn dedicated to this game that I'm doing it anyway. In fact 'level design' describes most of what I've been up to this past month. The interior of the Power Plant is taking shape, and you'll be able to explore the first few rooms in this update (highlighted in yellow in this little preview):
That should give you an idea of the content avalanche that's on the way, and even this preview doesn't show the full extent of the Power Plant's size or its mysteries! Other new features include fresh functionality added to the TTS engine, new music, some UI improvements, and more... As usual, the new stuff is accompanied by a slew of fixes big and small, including some important steps forward for general stability. Please keep reporting any bugs you find so that I may fix them. Until the next update... Stay safe out there, Stalkers! Changelog:

• New accessible areas in Power Plant (more to come)
• New NPC in Power Plant: the Hermit
• New soundtrack for Power Plant biome
• Added TTS support for Points of Interest
• Added audio balancing during TTS
• Fixed crash when approaching item stashes
• Fixed major bug causing intermittent errors
• Fixed inventory crashes
• Fixed player HP being reset to max on load
• Reworked combat enemy behaviour, hopefully fixing many issues
• Fixed click navigation walking to wrong coordinates
• Stat upgrades are now correctly applied when starting a new game
• Fixed I key not opening inventory
• Disabled manual saving during story segments for stability
• Fixed player not showing up correctly behind obstructions in some areas
• Fixed wrong damage resistance behaviour on Spit card
• Fixed controller cursor misbehaving when out of bounds
• Fixed some animation positioning on Knife Swarm enemy
• Better voice options on game start
• Added correct portrait for Battle Drone enemy
• Added unique footstep sounds for Power Plant
• Fixed Burner anomaly audio

This month we've got not just one big milestone, but two! First up is a complete rewrite of controller support, which now behaves much more reliably during combat and in cursor mode. Quick refs have been updated to reflect the changes and are now launched by default on some screens. Second is the integration of the Festvox text-to-speech engine. It includes a number of different voices for the player to choose from (changeable at any time in the options menu), as well as unique NPC voices. It sounds robotic, of course, but if you're not fond of reading then this should be a good solution until such time as voice acting becomes available. In less huge news, many bugs have been fixed, and work continues on the Power Plant biome for which we've been drawing a brand-new isometric tileset.
This is shaping up to be our biggest isometric level by far, which is exciting and should hopefully offer even more variety in the gameplay! Check below for the customary list of changes, and as always, please report any issues you come across so I can fix them. Until the next update... Happy Stalking! Changelog:

• Completely rewrote controller support (please give feedback/suggestions for improvements)
• Integrated text-to-speech engine with multiple voices
• Fixed potential crash when starting new game
• Fixed shop being empty in certain situations
• Fixed potential crash in inventory after equipping new containers
• Fixed inventory refusing to close in some circumstances
• Fixed crashes when opening Market/Lab UI
• Fixed enemy AoE Defend behaviour
• Quick start no longer wipes worn equipment
• Various visual improvements in Power Plant biome
• Various visual improvements in Hospital biome
• Corrected Knife Swarm enemy positioning
• Fixed & improved Options menu
• Fixed potential issues with larger or smaller screen resolutions
• Fixed battle controls quick-reference
• Fixed visual error on Louis
• Improved shop behaviour
• Two-handed items can no longer be dual-wielded
• Added support for dialogue skipping to remainder of Chapter 1
• Many back-end changes to combat deck viewing
• Stronger tutorial/quick-ref behaviour
• Added random combat portraits for new enemies
• Improved card name display
• Added limiters on some combat buttons to prevent multiple clicks

Just a quick patch with some important fixes. Changelog:

• Fixed inventory getting wiped in some situations
• Fixed item conversion not giving Science
• Train yard rain anomaly no longer gives infinite Science
• Fixed Power Plant being accessible before Chapter 2
• Fixed potential crash when encountering points of interest in areas with item stashes
• Fleeing non-random combats is no longer treated as a win
• Added emergency travel key (F9) in case of getting stuck
• Animated same-area teleports
• Corrected some sprite layering in Power Plant exterior
• Tidied animations and added better sounds for Knife Swarm & Elemental enemies

This update should've come out a few days ago, but it's been a month for fighting with the game's engine. I've had to completely redo several things from scratch at the last minute when it turned out they just don't look or behave the same way in-game as they do in the editor. You can see some of it in this example, featuring one of our brand new enemies:
The flagship change of this update is the first area of a new biome to explore, the Power Plant, featuring several new unique enemies and a bunch of new anomalies and wrinkles to explore. (Including enemies who will chase you for a bit, but eventually return to their original patrol path.)
It's still a work in progress, with plans to add even more content, but I'm pleased to show all the work that's gone in so far. The next area in this biome will be the actual interior of the Power Plant -- a dangerous place indeed... Happy Stalking, and see you in the next update! Changelog:

• First area of new Power Plant biome now available in Chapter 2
• New points of interest
• Several new enemies
• Fixed inventory wipe when opening jobs board
• Fixed crash when playing cards in quick succession
• Fixed crash when playing cards that discard other cards (Turn, etc.)
• Fixed crash when delivering story quest items in Chapter 2
• Removed Stalker option from main menu for stability
• Fixed potential crash when knocking back rearmost enemy
• Fixed quest log not properly tracking delivered items
• Game now saves after every Point of Interest encounter
• Fixed rations getting consumed while game paused
• Finished quests are now properly removed from the quest log
• Choosing City Hall questline now properly fails Escape questline
• Changed Juliet's Necklace card loadout
• Fixed Cyn's Favour quest triggers and ending
• Removed unintended hidden Stun immunity from some enemies
• Fixed Seagull enemy behaviour errors
• Fixed sprite problems on Cyn & Louis
• Added support for AoE enemy abilities & mid-combat enemy spawns

The party piece of this update is something people have long asked for -- enemies that are visible on the exploration map. Some will follow a set patrol path. Others will spot you and chase you all over the map if you give them the chance! Mixed varieties will be coming in a future update. No matter which kind, once fought, they will remain dead as doornails.


Random encounters are still a thing, but who knows what the future may hold? Other than that we've got a host of important fixes, reworked features, and some new content as well. My current priority is to complete more biomes to explore (and thereby advancing the main quest), and perhaps I can find some time to squeeze in another side quest too. Much love continues to go into development, no matter how long it takes. Thanks to all you brave Stalkers for your continued support! Changelog:

• Added patrolling enemies to some areas
• Added homing enemies to some areas
• Wharf is now properly accessible in Chapter 2
• Reduced size on disk by 20%
• Fixed more crashes when loading
• Fixed crash when travelling between certain areas
• Fixed multiple potential crashes when interacting with Wharf crane
• Fixed occasional crashes when starting an encounter right after combat
• Game now properly saves after ending VN segments
• Fixed error with opening options menu during combat encounter warning
• Items now stay identified when loading
• Fixed potential crash when starting Chapter 3
• Fixed potential crash in Extermination side quest
• Duplicate quests can no longer be added to the quest log
• Fixed Helping a Friend and Bearer of Bad News quests not completing properly
• Reworked enemy intent tooltips for clarity
• Rewrote Points of Interest system to be more reliable
• Some new card art
• Some new items & cards

A small patch with a few important fixes:

• Wharf is now properly accessible in Chapter 2
• Fixed more crashes when loading
• Fixed crash when travelling between certain areas
• Duplicate quests can no longer be added to the quest log
• Fixed Helping a Friend and Bearer of Bad News quests not completing properly
• Items now stay identified when loading

Hail and well met! January has been a slow period for Zone, as I've been dreadfully preoccupied with job hunting (starvation holds very little appeal for me) -- but even so, we're still making important progress. v0.6.7.3 features a few crucial fixes, and paves the way for better pathfinding, particularly for enemies. A frequent complaint I hear is about the combat being based largely on sudden random encounters, so one of my current goals is to make more encounters visible and predictable on the exploration map. In less good news, controller support is clearly broken on many levels, so I've removed it from our store page until I can find time to completely reimplement it. I've also been paying for some of the shortcuts I took early on in the shift to Godot. A number of hours have had to go towards tidying up and re-testing things I should've done differently in the first place... But it ultimately results in a better, cleaner codebase, so it's by no means a waste of time. As always, I'm excited to keep rolling into the next update. Until then! Changelog:

• Fixed crash on game load when using Crackling Eyepatch/Antenna
• Fixed bug when defeating sinkhole side job boss
• Fixed hospital endboss story/encounter
• Added flee option for hospital endboss encounter
• Combat can no longer immediately re-trigger on load or after death
• Fixed softlock on Cyn's Favour quest
• Fixed cards getting disabled when cancelling flee menu
• Text speed and volume settings are now properly applied after loading
• Added (almost) all missing boss sounds in Hospital biome
• Improved combat loading
• Fixed issue with player lighting in combat

It's that time of year, and what do we find in our stockings? Another update for Zone! Thanks to several crucial bug reports, I've managed to fix a lot of persistent issues that really needed squashing, in amongst the new stuff. Work continues on the new environment, the Greenery, as we're in the process of finding a new artist to handle this. An early sneak preview of the work in progress:
Writing-wise, I'm on the cusp of starting the explosive main event of Chapter 3, which will feature a serious crisis for you and all the survivors of Esper... Stay tuned for partial excitement! Changelog:

• Fixed softlock in Special Request quest
• Fixed potential crashes in Discretion Required quest
• Fixed card Drain targeting issues
• Fixed end-of-turn buffs not triggering properly
• Buff/debuff readouts now update correctly
• Added missing Chapter 2 story trigger
• Fixed crash when fleeing side job combats
• Accessing inventory during side jobs no longer boots the player back to Esper
• Fixed wrong Stamina assignment in side jobs
• Fixed several other side job issues
• Duplicate story events should no longer happen
• Fixed unintended music/ambient audio resets during story segments
• Fixed rain particle positioning in Wharf
• Added missing brittle star stunned pose
• Added missing Wharf loot stash
• Updated, corrected and expanded several quick ref/tutorials
• New boss encounter in Hospital
• Improved lighting in Hospital
• Added more radiation spots
• Saved games now track radiation buildup
• Expanded some dialogue options
• New battle backgrounds
• Reworked battle background loading
• Improved load times between stage transitions
• Added visual readout for Stamina above 100
• Tweaked other combat readouts for clarity
• Increased controller cursor speed

Hard to believe another month has passed us by! The biggest change is, I suddenly have a new computer. After several weeks of having my time wasted by repair shops, my old computer was officially pronounced dead. You can imagine how this might present some life difficulties. The new one was bought on a very tight budget, but it has just enough oomph to allow me to continue developing Zone. On the bright side, what was lost in coding/testing time was made up for in writing. I have been doing a lot of it, and as a result, the goal I set last month was hit: a completed Act 2! There is much escalation, culminating in a choice that changes everything... And even more sidequesty action.
In the next update I hope to have a new environment to show off, and see us well underway into the excitement of Act 3. Finally, I wanted to say thanks for the support you've given us. The comments, reviews, and even the bug reports are what keep me going. We're standing at 8 reviews at the moment, just two shy of the all-important 10. So if you haven't yet posted a review, or if you know someone who could, please please do -- it makes a massive difference to us tiny indies who don't have any external support! v0.6.6.4 Changelog:

• Finished Chapter 2
• Two new story-based side quests in Chapter 2 or higher
• Fixed crashes after loading saved games
• Fixed buffs not triggering on their final turn
• Major overhaul of saving/loading
• Improved Confusion card handling
• Fixed some broken normal maps
• Fixed ship encounter not disabling after finishing
• Combat buffs now provide detailed breakdowns on mouseover
• Fleshed out combat encounters in Wharf biome
• Added extra flee option during train yard boss encounter
• Added sanity checks for some side quests
• Tweaked item drop rates
• Extended functionality for story triggers
• New item passive abilities
• Replaced more temp art
• Visual improvements on some NPCs

It's been a hell of a month -- I may make another update about that -- but I've managed to keep progress coming. Fixes, new features, new art, new content. Next update should feature the conclusion of Chapter 2, which is exciting. It's a sprawling mess of a lot of interconnecting parts so I'll be glad when it's done! v0.6.5.7 Changelog:

• Fixed area transition pop-up sticking around when it shouldn't
• Player can no longer transition areas during a combat encounter
• Fixed issue with combat slowdown after playing certain cards
• Fixed crash when using Grim Vision
• Fixed crash when mouseovering certain item passives
• Fixed items in shop not updating to new/fixed versions
• Fixed some card text displaying incorrectly
• Started adding missing sound effect for Hospital boss fights
• Added icon and explanation for two-handed items
• Added animation when Reflux triggers in combat
• Added animation when player gets an Ailment
• New Ailments now show up on the passives bar immediately
• Added more options to use adventuring rope
• Improved support for multiple story NPCs on screen
• Shop now occasionally clears sold items
• Added on-discard card effects
• Replaced temp battle background in train yard
• Reduced Blink Organ requirement for 'Organs for Dom' quest
• New visually-distinct Confusion card borders
• Brushed up old Psi card borders
• New worm anomaly
• New story NPC - Hunter Captain
• New Confusion cards
• New enemy

In the time since the last update, I've been chasing down every issue our wonderful players have reported, as well as many that went unnoticed. The list below is but a condensed version of all the fixes! (Trust me, it took up literal days.) And in the between times, I've been working on furthering Chapter 2. Running into an old friend will raise even more questions about the mysterious Org and their activities in Esper...
Ambitions for next time are to have our fourth biome at least partly completed, and potentially to complete Chapter 2, which will be by far the longest in the game. (If you know any artists who are okay working for tiny indie rates or rev share, please encourage them to contact me at info@illuminated.games ) Remember to report any issues you might be experiencing -- it helps improve the game for everyone, and I want players to have the best possible experience! Until next time... Happy Stalking, and see you out there in the Zone. Changelog:

• Fixed multiple crashes related to enemies in wharf
• Fixed issues with wharf progression and ending
• Fixed crash in Buzzard side quest
• Fixed crashes and other problems when handing in story side quests
• Reworked side quest minimap behaviour
• Fixed some story combats not ending properly when lost
• Fixed issue with train yard area transitions showing up too soon
• Fixed options menu locking up on rare occasions
• Fixed problems with window focus on 16:10 screen resolution (hopefully!)
• Removed unstable right-click area transitions
• New NPC Kate with new conversations
• Added new encounters in wharf
• Added proper reward after wharf boss
• Improved wharf boss fight visuals
• Added some new cards
• New animations for certain cards

I won't lie, things have been extremely rough for me this past month. All sorts of crises keep cropping up left and right -- personal, financial, and medical, with a stubborn dental infection that left me unable to do much of anything for over a week. Obviously this has hurt progress on the game and delayed our next update. Things are still in the works, however! For example, we recently finished art and animation for a key NPC which will let us move forward with the City Hall part of the storyline: the Mayor of Esper.
In the meantime, I'm conducting a full review of the plot, looking to trim some fat so we can stay on target for our 1.0 release. Stay tuned for further developments. We won't quit until the game is out.

We're one month on from the EA release, and it's been a hell of a time! Trying to catch up on all the things I put off while crunching for the launch. That's the reason why this update is mostly fixes rather than new content. However, expect new stuff in the next update! Changes:

• Fixed an error with some fog not displaying properly
• Fixed error with repeating train yard story encounter
• Tweaked train yard story ending 3
• Fixed issue with choice buttons showing too soon
• Fixed combat loss not working correctly in some cases
• Added sanity check for combat loss due to damage over time

Another load of fixes. If you run into a problem, please report it, and I'll get to work!

• Added option slider for adjusting random combat frequency
• Changed Stalker mode Supplies behaviour
• Fixed softlock in Chapter 2
• Fixed crash on loading some Stalker mode bosses
• Fixed crash when opening jobs board
• Fixed containers not showing when equipped during loot
• Fixed encounter buttons showing too soon
• Fixed error with certain sounds cutting off

This is our first load of post-launch fixes, with more to come.

• Fixed mutant prawn boss erroneously triggering story advancement
• Fixed crash when repeatedly clicking End Turn
• Fixed problems when transferring from story mode to gameplay
• Fixed some mystery instability (hopefully including crashes during boss encounters -- starting a new game may be required)
• Fixed issue with certain backgrounds not showing
• Fixed combats occurring in protected areas
• Balance tweaks: Lowered HP on certain enemies
• Increased default text speed
• Controller clicks are now recognised during name entry

At long last, the day is here! ZONE is now available on Early Access, with 3 explorable biomes and lots more story than the demo had to offer. There is much left to do, of course... But if we haven't given up after all this time, you know we won't until the game is done. And before we go, another list of improvements over the demo:

• Added controller support
• Added unlock requirement for Stalker mode
• Changed loot system
• Reworked exploration
• Fixed bug that allowed drawing above maximum hand size
• Fixed broken battle background in the train yard
• Fixed bug with Fire Axe disappearing
• Fixed crash on mouseovering card tooltips
• Shop card previews no longer persist after buying an item
• Fixed issue with story segments freezing at certain points
• Fixed Leather Jerkin not giving correct buffs

Our Early Access release is coming... A date has been set. 15 June 2023. Less than one month away. Exciting times! Appropriately, the store page has been updated with a brand spanking new trailer showcasing much more of the gameplay and many of the features you can expect in the full version, as well as a slew of updated screenshots. And for those of you who can't bear to go all the way to the store page... [previewyoutube=2ymU-PZ8S5Q;full][/previewyoutube]

Welcome... to the Cards & Fixes update. This update focusses on changing combat in a major way. No longer will you find randomly-generated groups of baddies, thrown together without care for challenge or preparedness. Each group is now carefully hand-crafted to create a better (proper) progression all the way through Chapter 1. Bosses have also gotten a rebalance, and importantly, we're introducing Unique cards... A special choice on character creation which (in the future) will grow with you throughout your adventure. Of course all this is experimental and subject to change in future updates. Lastly, we'l be maintaining more detailed changelogs from now on, so you have a better idea which features have been added and which bugs have been fixed. Happy hunting out there... in the Zone. Changelog:

• Changed combat from randomly-spawned enemies to pre-designed groups
• Rebalanced enemies
• Added intro battle
• Added unique starting cards
• Enemies now show ranged and melee intent on mouse hover
• Cards gained from Research should no longer disappear on load
• Equipped items should no longer disappear on load
• Fixed some jank with card targeting
• Can no longer lose Energy when trying to draw from an empty Action pool
• Despair card no longer reduces Energy when drawn
• Fixed problem with certain cards not recognising their true cost
• Fixed some cards going blank when drawn
• Fixed crash on train yard boss death
• Fixed research tooltips breaking in some circumstances
• Fixed normal maps not working on some battle backgrounds
• Fixed sound conflicts on equipping items
• Fixed issue with dialogue skipping hiding text boxes
• Story side quests are now properly removed from the list when accepted
• Replaced more temp art

So comes the biggest update of the year so far! Further stability improvements are accompanied by dozens of new art pieces, replacing 90% of our nasty temp assets with much, much nicer stuff. The demo now offers new backgrounds, new battle arenas, and new cut-ins, all helping to make the story and environments come alive more than ever. Other highlights include:

• Fixed fleeing from train yard boss
• Fixed slugroach crash
• Numerous other fixes and improvements

A new version is now up after much work and many errors dealt with! Highlights include a complete overhaul of cards and mechanics, complete overhaul of buffs and passive effects, complete overhaul of map travel, and a new system for fully persistent dropped items. As always, please report any problems and I will fix them.

Today marks the release of demo version 0.6, which is a big jump from the previous. What's new, you ask? Many things. So many that I've lost track of them all. Some of the highlights:

• Simplified main menu
• A totally redesigned side quest system
• Many key fixes and stability improvements
• New cards and items

It's been tough smashing persistent bugs since we're lacking testers, but with this new public update comes another huge swathe of fixes, as well as some new quality of life features that make the game a little more comfortable and more visually pleasing. What you won't see in the demo is all the big new features we've been working on, including advancing the main quest, and more creative side quests to enjoy. Such wonders can only be found in the full version once it comes out. 0.5.8.2 Changelog:

• Fixed another soft crash at combat start -- combat should now work properly
• Many smaller fixes
• Proper animation for voided cards
• New cards, new items, new anomalies, new animations
• Tweaked card graphics and how card cost is displayed
• Rebalanced some enemies
• Optimised some animations

Many things have been going on in Zone's development. New features abound, but more importantly, we've (hopefully) fixed a number of major bugs that were making the game almost totally unplayable. This is all thanks to the people who actually reported these bugs -- and why reports are so important, because these bugs were only showing up in builds. Everything worked perfectly in my editor, so I had no idea anything was wrong! Godot is supposed to export 1:1, so this was an unpleasant surprise, and a lesson to be more careful about testing in a real play environment. 0.5.8 Changelog:

• Fixed soft crash when playing cards
• Fixed (completely rewrote) melee card targeting
• Many smaller fixes
• New cards, new items
• New NPCs
• Our first story-based side quest -- a tale of intrigue accessible from the job board!

Access the build by going to the Properties>Betas tab and selecting the Testing branch from the dropdown menu. This will work on both the regular and demo versions of the game. Some highlights:

• Total overhaul of the inventory system
• Total overhaul of status effects
• Total overhaul of the hub shop
• Fixed Jobs
• Exploration fixes (numerous)
• Combat fixes (numerous)
• New cards & card art
• New abilities
• Extra tooltips & tutorial info

Many issues were patched, particularly regarding combat, and several items and cards have been tweaked/added. Major fixes:

• Enemy shield now resets properly at end of turn
• Stun now works
• Enemies are less unreasonably difficult
• Bleeding animation shows properly
• Fixed wall encounter text
• Tweaks to Stamina

After our first time ever streaming, we're going to do it again, except better.

The Next Fest demands livestreams! So, we're doing one. Come see Creative Director Ryan Span try to overcome his crippling social anxiety to bring you the content you deserve. [previewyoutube=V4sPQVea75o;full][/previewyoutube]

As of today, the current version of the demo will no longer be available to download or play. This is because it's outdated. Old news. Not up to the standard I intend to set with Zone as a game. Some of you may already know about the decision to migrate the game to Godot Engine to take advantage of nicer visuals, higher resolutions with better performance, and an overall smoother user experience. That's basically what this decision was about. I don't want people to get the wrong impression from an old demo when the game is becoming so much cooler on a daily basis. If you're interested in the progress so far, check out the IG Twitter, where I frequently post screenshots and video of the new, upgraded features. Here's a few examples to whet your appetite and show you why you should be following. https://twitter.com/IlluminatedGms/status/1355102624157216768 https://twitter.com/IlluminatedGms/status/1379026506412924930 https://twitter.com/IlluminatedGms/status/1376501484184043522 Expect a new and improved demo in a few months' time.

Think again. Be sure to follow our Twitter for almost daily art and video of the complete overhaul we're doing, with high-def graphics and endless amounts of new effects and improvements. https://twitter.com/IlluminatedGms

The Zone is getting a 1080p face-lift, along with a whole host of new animations and effects on a brand new engine. Want a taste? Well here it is. [previewyoutube=FcWwJYlxbc8;full][/previewyoutube] Now, we just need your help. We're still a ways from reaching the goal, but that can change in a matter of hours if you can do something to get the word out. KS: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/realilluminatedgames/the-zone-stalker-stories Twitter: https://twitter.com/IlluminatedGms Please consider backing us too; there are lots of cool rewards, and your support could mean the difference between success and failure!

At long last, our campaign has launched! The campaign page has much info about where Zone is going and our plans for the future. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/realilluminatedgames/the-zone-stalker-stories Please consider backing us; there are lots of cool rewards, and your support could mean the difference between success and failure!

Our pre-launch Kickstarter page is LIVE now!

Take 70% off our previous releases - Golem Creation Kit, The Next World, and all associated DLC - until August 24th! And for an even steeper discount, check out the associated bundles. We're practically giving these things away!

In this update we've begun to introduce unique sounds for each card, as well as reaction sounds for enemy types. Most of the effects are temp or placeholders for now, but will be gradually replaced as we get custom assets in. We've also crushed a number of bugs such as:

• Crashes when entering combat
• Newly drawn cards not showing up
• Certain card abilities not working

A hotfix is now up that solves a show-stopping issue where opening the quest log during the prologue, then opening the player inventory, would cause a soft lock and make it impossible to progress further.

Though the Festival has ended, our tireless work continues in the code-mines of Antares III, hewing new features from the living rock. What mystical ores have we harvested so far? Well...

• Major performance gains in overworld segments
• Major performance gains in card battles
• Quality of life improvements in inventory
• Tweaked item drop rates
• Fixed stun on enemies
• Several rare new artifacts and cards
• Misc fixes

In the briefest possible terms, The Zone: Stalker Stories is one part top-down RPG, one part deck builder/card battler, and one part rich visual novel. But IG, you might ask, in this crowded market of things constantly competing for our attention, why is Zone worthy of my time and support? Well, we like to think we're offering something that you can't find anywhere else. There's features which we felt have been missing in other deck-builders, like the lush overworld maps to explore and seek out adventure, in a perspective that's never been explored in games inspired by STALKER and Roadside Picnic. We've got a singular visual style, bursting with beautiful hand-drawn art, as well as a sound that's all our own. Our inventory system is unique in that it lets you change your deck composition and various passive bonuses almost at will, however you like. And perhaps our biggest strength, something which our past games have always been praised for, is story. Zone will have a full proper plot and dialogue written by industry veterans. Though our demo doesn't currently have voice acting, it's a likely future addition. This demo is what we've put together with a bare handful of people -- 3 artists, 1 composer, and me doing everything else -- all in our spare time with virtually no budget. Imagine what it could become with your support!

The SGF is Zone's official debut, and this is our first event in support of it, answering any questions that weren't covered by our detailed and finely-crafted writeups and generally getting personal, to let people know who's behind the curtain. Our goal: To help you get a feel for why you should be as excited about the game as we are. Also to give some reasons to follow, wishlist, back our upcoming Kickstarter, or all of the above. Start times are listed in GMT+0.

FEATURES

• Gorgeous hand-drawn art
  
• Gripping story told in slick visual novel style
  
• A wonderul, dangerous world to explore
  
• Deep inventory management - Assemble your deck and abilities by carefully choosing your equipment, even changing everything in mid-combat
  
• Hundreds of different items and abilities to mix and create your perfect playstyle

• Processor: 2GhzMemory: 4 GB RAMStorage: 1 GB available space
• Memory: 4 GB RAMStorage: 1 GB available space
• Storage: 1 GB available space