TO THE WORLD TREE ----------------- Version 5 (Beta). readme.txt 2/13/2008 Geoff Dunbar Merry Prankster Games This readme.txt file contains additional information about "To The World Tree". Contact Information: -------------------- "To The World Tree" website: http://www.prankster.com/ttwt Email contact: ttwt@prankster.com Installation Instructions: -------------------------- 1) Read the rest of this document for more important information. 2) Read the license.txt License Agreement and be sure you agree with it. 3) Follow the instructions in the installation program. Feedback wanted! ---------------- Please fill out the "feedback.txt" form included with "To The World Tree" and email it to ttwt@prankster.com. This is really helpful to me in any future versions of "To The World Tree" and future games from Merry Prankster Games. (Look in "c:\Program Files\To The World Tree" for the feedback.txt file). Suggested System Requirements: ------------------------------ Note that we haven't done extensive testing of system requirements; this list represents a system I think should run "To The World Tree": - Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Vista, or higher. - Pentium 4 processor. - 512 MB system memory. - 18 MB of free hard-drive space. - Direct3D-capable video card with at least 128MB of video memory. - 800x600 or better monitor. Please feel free to report successes or failures getting "To The World Tree" to run on your system, along with your system configuration. DirectX Requirements: --------------------- You must have at least DirectX 9.0c installed. Further, some older versions of DirectX 9.0c don't have some required files included. I recommend that you install the latest from: http://www.microsoft.com/directx If you don't install the latest, you may get an error message about "d3dx9.dll" when you try to run "To The World Tree". This can be fixed by installing the latest version of DirectX. License Agreement: ------------------ Please read the License Agreement for this software in the file license.txt before running "To The World Tree". If you don't agree with it, please delete this software. Credits: -------- Programming, Design, Writing, and Art - Geoff Dunbar. Some resources: I used an image from the NASA website; NASA has a notice on their website that images are not copyright, and may be used for just about any purpose. NASA's website is http://www.nasa.gov. I found very helpful a nice set of textures provided by Mayang Murni Adnin. (http://www.mayang.com/textures/). The license agreement of these textures: License These textures are Copyright © Mayang Murni Adnin, 2001-2006. They have all been taken by our own cameras or created by ourselves. Use: They are free to use for all uses, whether commercial or non-commercial (you may incorporate them into your derived work with no requirement to pay us any licensing fee etc). Your derived work must involve significant modification to the textures. It would be nice if you could credit us. Audio effects licensed from IndieSFX (website: http://www.indiesfx.co.uk/). Bug reports and other Feedback: - DGM (Daniel McNeese) @ http://www.prankster.com/phpbb - Pierre Begue via email. - DayDream @ http://forums.indiegamer.com Changes from Version 4 to Version 5 ----------------------------------- - Using an action to use an item (drink a potion, say) works better. - Quick actions are saved to the save file instead of getting reset. - New UI system (no more MFC!). - General dialog box improvements. - In actor dialogs, switch between actors with buttons on the right. - Display more items in store and inventory dialogs. - Improve Action dialog. - Journal dialog filters text based on quest, and quest complete. - In actor dialogs, drag-n-drop for actions. - Use potions from the inventory dialog. ("Delayed Use"). - Re-did attribute buying system to start the game. - Allow switching between actors while in a store. - Remove "alternate" inventory slot. - Improved UI for sneaking. - Make a save game folder. - Switch to NSIS for install system. Much easier, smaller. Never needs to download the massive .NET runtime. - Implemented "fastmove" while not in combat. Changes from Version 3 to Version 4 ----------------------------------- - Move to 2D map system. - Quick-return button. - Improved lighting model. Fireplaces flicker, etc. - Dynamic updating of areas, such as removing the magic ward graphic when appropriate in-game. - Removed the "easiness" hack and adjusted the levels of monsters and quests accordingly. - File packing - package all the module files into one big file. - Fixed an issue where some doors would open incorrectly. - Added bows to the blue grimp graphics. - Fixed an issue where some graphics would get incorrectly clipped. - Fixed an issue where doors wouldn't open when ALT was depressed. - The Quick-load notification properly pauses the game. - Wielding an item while another item is wielded now works properly. - The display time now advances faster, one day takes about 2 hours. - Reset areas when the party has been away for a certain amount of time. - Load, save, death, and rest now display messages. - Spell display shows which attribute gives a bonus. - Check for missing DirectX and display an informative error message. - Item info dialog, make OK the default choice instead of Use. - Allow doors to be closed. - New animation system. Animations should look a bit smoother. Also attack animations now have better follow through. - Allow items to be added to actor graphics without copying the files. - Traps and locks require at least level 1 skill to use. - Party now can't rest while being attacked. - Display a Loading message while loading level graphics. - Implemented travel time. - Added Load Game to Game menu. - Added keyboard shortcuts dialog to Game menu. Changes from Version 2 to Version 3 ----------------------------------- - Reworked the Cellar levels to be more streamlined, and maybe a little easier. - Updated pathfinding. - Performance improvements. - Fixed a bug where opening one door would sometimes inappropriately open other doors. - Fixed a bug where the party would fail to summon creatures due to enemy spellcasters summoning the same creature. - Fixed a bug where the game would crash when a summoned Air Elemental was killed. - Fixed the power level of some summoned creatures. Changes from Version 1 to Version 2 ----------------------------------- - Graphics and lighting tweaks. - Quickload clears the message view. - Title bar shows the name of the level. - Much more information added for messages in the message view: - Combat. - Diplomacy. - Quests. - Traps and locks. - Display some background text when a new game is started. - Level drawing perf much improved. - Doors stay open on rest or level departure. - Error handling for corrupted modules or save files. - Added audio effects. - Fixed word-wrap issue in inventory and store dialogs. - Show item info in store dialog. - Double-click on actor now properly pauses the game. - Spellbook shows costs in mana percentage now. - Many fixes regarding spell effective levels. - Fixed transparent firepit rendering issue. - Tweaked AI to pick new targets instead of always pursuing the first one. - Move between characters in the character dialogs. - Minimap used to suck, now sucks less. - Minimap perf much improved. - Fixed the whole "easiness" hack (the less said the better). - Overloaded monsters now move properly. - A few module bug-fixes.