New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

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FlowerChild
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New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by FlowerChild »

Version 4.ABCFAFBFC of Better Than Wolves is ready for download!

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-Added the Stone Brick as a new item. Stone Bricks can be harvested in place of Loose Stones by using an Iron Chisel on Smoothstone blocks. They may also be created in greater numbers by combining Smoothstone Blocks with an Iron Chisel in the crafting grid (similar to splitting wood with an axe), and individual bricks can be split into Loose Stones via this same method.

-Added Loose Stone Brick blocks, stairs and slabs as new block types. They may be crafted with individual Stone Bricks, in the same manner as similar blocks. Applying mortar to them to create vanilla Stone Brick blocks replaces the old creation method entirely.

-Added Loose Nether Brick blocks, stairs, and slabs as new block types. As with Stone Brick, applying mortar replaces the old creation method.

-Added a variant of Netherrack that is affected by gravity. Netherrack will now function as before when placed in the Nether, but if placed in other dimensions, will be subject to gravity. Blocks already placed in your world will continue to behave as before, regardless of dimension.

-Added variable cook times for different block types to the Kiln, similar to the Brick Oven, and increased cook times overall. Stuff like chunks of ore and logs will now take much longer to cook than baked goods. This was done to further incentivize automation, as well as to increase the value of having multiple Hibachis in use.

-Added an additional particle effect (white smoke) when something is cooking in the Kiln, as the slower cook times made it difficult to tell if it was working.

-Added a new Smoothstone creation method where running lava over Loose Cobblestone or Loose Stone Bricks will fill in gaps in the block with hot lava. Running water over the resulting block will then cool it off, forming a Smoothstone block. Along with other changes in this release, this new system is intended to replace all other methods of stone generation previously in the game.

-Added the Lava Pillow as a new block type. This block replaces the Smoothstone and Cobblestone that was previously created when lava blocks came into contact with water blocks, effectively removing lava based cobble generators from the game. Note that the Lava Pillow may not be harvested intact through any means, including silk touch or the Block Dispenser.

-Added recipes for the stairs of the various "Loose" blocks (Cobble, Brick, etc.) that use 3 full blocks or slabs of the type in an "L" pattern in the crafting grid so that such stairs may be crafted in the player's inventory.

-Changed several crafting recipes involving Smoothstone to use Stone Bricks instead. This affects the following: Hand Crank, Mill Stone, Turntable, Hibachi, Anchor, Piston, Redstone Repeater, Lever, Dispenser, Block Detector, Block Dispenser, Buddy Block, and the Chopping Block (now 8 bricks in a 'U'). Basically, almost every block that isn't entirely made of Smoothstone (like stairs or slabs) now uses Stone Bricks instead.

-Changed the Saw to take longer to cut blocks to further incentivize automating it, and adjusted the associated sound to fit the new timing better.

-Changed Chunks of Iron and Gold Ore to have a random facing when placed, rather than one based on player orientation, to make them feel a tad more irregular.

-Changed the name of the Stone item to "Loose Stone" to help further differentiate it from Smoothstone blocks.

-Changed Cactus blocks to be destroyed when hit by lightning.

-Changed (refactored) the way Oak and Nether Brick fences work internally to hopefully resolve some collision issues with them. This change is largely a test that is being discussed on the BTW forums, and other fence types will be converted to this new format if the test is successful.

-Fixed a problem where Slimes, Squid, and Ghasts weren't reliably despawning within spawn chunks.

-Fixed a vanilla problem where Fireballs and Wither Skulls could hang around indefinitely in your world.

-Fixed a potential crash when baskets would catch on fire.

-Removed the ability to stop Cement from drying by applying a redstone signal to it. This removes another form of infinite stone generator from the game.

-Removed the ability to harvest whole Smoothstone blocks by isolating them from their neighbors and then harvesting. In practice I found this mechanic to be rather clunky and unintuitive, and the need for it has been largely replaced by the inclusion of Stone Bricks.

Rock out with new bricks out!

-------------

If you'd like to say thanks for this release and help contribute to the further development of Better Than Wolves, please consider making a donation:

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Fret
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by Fret »

Oh man, cool update! Just yesterday I was dreaming of one day owning a (cobble)stone generator providing me with free unlimited stone blocks. I guess that's never gonna happen.

The new stone bricks mechanics look really cool. I'm excited about mortar and gravity becoming bigger and bigger elements of the game.
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FlowerChild
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by FlowerChild »

Fret wrote: The new stone bricks mechanics look really cool. I'm excited about mortar and gravity becoming bigger and bigger elements of the game.
Well, I'm slowly working my way through the game tying up loose ends here and there in that regard. I bit off a rather large task when I decided to revamp building stuff in Minecraft, so it's bound to keep me busy for awhile yet :)
Whuppee
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by Whuppee »

WOO! <3
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Panda
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by Panda »

I'm pretty excited i was basically at the point where i decided that building with smooth stone wasn't worth my time. Now I'm feeling the burn with mortar and need to figure out how to increase my supply.

You get an 11/10 today!
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ExpHP
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by ExpHP »

-Added a variant of Netherrack that is affected by gravity. Netherrack will now function as before when placed in the Nether, but if placed in other dimensions, will be subject to gravity. Blocks already placed in your world will continue to behave as before, regardless of dimension.
Heh! Thank goodness I no longer have an excuse to make "temporary" netherrack roofs. Now the game might begin to unfold more like I was imagining it would prior to my first visit to the nether. (which gives the glowstone+wood combo a time to shine, as it brings back the property that the only roofing material that's accessible in mass quantities prior to machinery is one that burns!)
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FlowerChild
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by FlowerChild »

ExpHP wrote: Heh! Thank goodness I no longer have an excuse to make "temporary" netherrack roofs.
Yeah, the netherrack becoming one of the first accessible free-standing blocks was a rather significant problem given how massively available it is once you gain access to the nether.

I wanted to avoid spoilers, but I also made sure to include a little something something with it to help ease the pain some :)
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jackatthekilns
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by jackatthekilns »

FlowerChild wrote:I wanted to avoid spoilers, but I also made sure to include a little something something with it to help ease the pain some :)
This sounds intriguing :)
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Panda
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by Panda »

I really like how the new saw changes feel. They are not to slow at the current and makes me realize, the previous saws felt explody and gamey!
Never say no to Panda.
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EpicAaron
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by EpicAaron »

FlowerChild wrote: -Added the Stone Brick as a new item. Stone Bricks can be harvested in place of Loose Stones by using an Iron Chisel on Smoothstone blocks. They may also be created in greater numbers by combining Smoothstone Blocks with an Iron Chisel in the crafting grid (similar to splitting wood with an axe), and individual bricks can be split into Loose Stones via this same method.

-Added a variant of Netherrack that is affected by gravity. Netherrack will now function as before when placed in the Nether, but if placed in other dimensions, will be subject to gravity. Blocks already placed in your world will continue to behave as before, regardless of dimension.
Holy Hoofsies, these changes!

Hardcore Classical Sculpting and Secret Mason Societies?

Netherrack change might be my new favorite feature. I rather disliked building with it.

When I'm feeling down or lonely I tell myself, "At least Flowerchild is always listening!"
;')
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FlowerChild
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by FlowerChild »

EpicAaron wrote:When I'm feeling down or lonely I tell myself, "At least Flowerchild is always listening!"
;')
Indeed!
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Moldiworp2
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by Moldiworp2 »

Lava Pillow ey? Steve will finally be able to sleep again!
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hawk
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by hawk »

Love the changes! Thank you!!
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Sarudak
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by Sarudak »

Got a little frustrated after dying so many times after the big change so took a break. Recently I decided to give it another go and focus on just not dying. Taking my time to be safe and grabbing a bit of progress here and there. I finally got to my first iron tools and I can't describe how happy I was to be able to craft hampers and get some of my precious resources out of my inventory. You've really breathed new life into Better than Wolves with these changes. Thank you.
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FlowerChild
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by FlowerChild »

Sarudak wrote:You've really breathed new life into Better than Wolves with these changes. Thank you.
Awwww... shucks man, thanks for that. I had wondered where you had gotten off to :)
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Sarudak
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by Sarudak »

Yeah like I said got a bit frustrated. There's also the fact that there's so many awesome games to play right now. Plus I got a new job at a startup so I've been working more than I have in my life. Many factors.

The biggest thing with resolving my frustration (I know you tuned some of the early game down just a bit also) was changing my mindset away from a rush to progression and more just enjoying the journey of advancement and letting the early game really be a thing. Previously I wanted to progress fast and it led me to take risks that eventually ended up fatal. Because I never really got to the point where I had left anything permanent on the world I always felt like restarting entirely and doing that a number of times was quite soul crushing.
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FlowerChild
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by FlowerChild »

Yeah, I hear you. I had some pretty savage rage-quits with the early game at some points, which lead to me further tweaking the balance. I think in some ways I genuinely surprised myself that I had arrived at a point that I considered to be too challenging, after all these years of never finding it quite hard enough. For awhile there I think I was a tad confused how to react to that, and even reluctant to admit to myself that it was an issue.

With a couple of exceptions (primarily related to the death and night-time experiences, both of which I plan to address) I think it's right about where I want it now.

I think the way BTW has evolved, it's almost like two games in one, and I could easily see how the survival game can drive people away if they approach it as a means to an end to arrive at the tech game rather than as a gameplay experience in itself. I've seen a couple of people making comments that hint at a similar perspective, so I don't think you're alone in having view it that way.

I guess that's a potential danger of designing cross-genre, as the more varied gameplay experiences you incorporate, the more you're cutting down your audience to the subset of people that appreciate all of those individual styles.
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Sarudak
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by Sarudak »

FlowerChild wrote:I think in some ways I genuinely surprised myself that I had arrived at a point that I considered to be too challenging, after all these years of never finding it quite hard enough. For awhile there I think I was a tad confused how to react to that, and even reluctant to admit to myself that it was an issue.
I think this is the most accurate representation of my feelings. You know I've always advocated for more challenge. After some frustration I felt like I wanted to say it had gotten too hard but I condn't quite believe that was what I was going to say so I decided to bite my tongue and wait and see how you continued to evolve the balance.
FlowerChild wrote: With a couple of exceptions (primarily related to the death and night-time experiences, both of which I plan to address) I think it's right about where I want it now.
Interesting. I have always found the night time experience challenging to maintain interest. In my last play through I've just been listening to youtube videos while waiting for night to pass.
FlowerChild wrote: I think the way BTW has evolved, it's almost like two games in one, and I could easily see how the survival game can drive people away if they approach it as a means to an end to arrive at the tech game rather than as a gameplay experience in itself. I've seen a couple of people making comments that hint at a similar perspective, so I don't think you're alone in having view it that way.
To be clear I'm definitely still more in the survival camp than the tech game camp. EG I love factorio and the long dark but I feel like I enjoy the long dark more. It's just sometimes survival if it's too punishing ventures into a level of frustration that I find too stressful to enjoy for any significant period of time. It's more that I tend to try to race through progressions and the new balance was (perhaps appropriately) punishing me for doing so. When I changed my play style things felt more productive.
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jackatthekilns
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by jackatthekilns »

jackatthekilns wrote:
FlowerChild wrote:I wanted to avoid spoilers, but I also made sure to include a little something something with it to help ease the pain some :)
This sounds intriguing :)
I just placed a block of Netherrack in the overworld. I'm a little worried.
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FlowerChild
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by FlowerChild »

jackatthekilns wrote:I just placed a block of Netherrack in the overworld. I'm a little worried.
Don't be?

Here, looks over here instead:
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Isn't that lovely? Feel better?
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jackatthekilns
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by jackatthekilns »

I feel so much better. What was I worried about again?
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by Veracity »

I started playing around with the new loose nether bricks and I discovered that nether sludge can be used as mortar. This is excellent news to me because unlike clay which has to be dug out of river beds and slimeballs which require risking a gelatinous death to gather, nether sludge can be mass manufactured at little cost once you're far enough in the tech tree.
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FlowerChild
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Re: New Release! (BTW 4.ABCFAFBFC) - NO SPOILERS

Post by FlowerChild »

That's because...
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and...
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Everybody loves Potash!
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