The Level Editor is LIVE!!!!

http://z6.invisionfree.com/Dark_Castle_Forum/index.php?showtopic=1851

Not a hoax, so jump in, enjoy yourself, and try out the first levelset:

http://z6.invisionfree.com/Dark_Castle_Forum/index.php?showtopic=1853


Happy weekend!

Zack Black visits SHFF

For the first time, Zack Black (Return to Dark Castle co-creator) meets Mark Steven Pierce (Dark Castle and Beyond Dark Castle co-creator) for the first time in person. Not sure on what exchange went on between them, other than it was positive. Here's to 2 decent men, and progress.

Link to Zscuplt

Finally changing the blog poll

Looks like most people think Return to Dark Castle was worth the hype, and wait. Props to Z Scuplt, and Zack Black!

Be sure to vote in the new poll!

Mark Steven Pierce talks again

Another quote from the Dark Castle Facebook group:

Thanks for the interest.

We are just know starting to begin to advertise more. I have begun with ads on Facebook and look to expand with other service.

SHFF is mostly a developer and we have lots of projects that help keep the lights on and have limited resources for big ad campaigns.

We were hoping to get the Zsculpt guys to get the PC version along with the level editor done but there have been some delays. The Zack's were not far off before X-mas so i am hopeful they can get back on it.

Ideally we could get a Mac/PC with level editor DVD out there by the fall.

The iPhone version woudl ideally be at the same time and then we could justify a bigger push.

I am just happy to have got the rights back to a game I am proud to have made and to have folks like Zsculpt who have done the most faithful version one could hope for and folks like you ant the others here who appreciate it as well.

MSP

I believe he's talking Fall for a boxed release, hopefully the Level Editor will be out before then. Still, it gives us hoping for a boxed release something to look forward to. Here's hoping it has less strict copy protection!

1.3.1 out for real this time

Okay, Return to Dark Castle version 1.3.1 is now out, and can be downloaded by anyone. It contains all the previously mentioned fixes. It can be found here at this link:

LINK

There seems to be a recording problem with the update... Don't worry. All the replays should run fine now, all the ones that have been recorded in 1.3.1 that is. No more out of sync. However, if you try to record, cancel, and record again, it seems to quit. Hopefully this will be fixed soon, in the mean time, try out all the other changes.

Apparently version 1.4 is already in the works, though it could be a while 'till we see it, and who knows what it might contain.

Now, about that Level Editor....

Return to Dark Castle 1.3 - Coming VERY soon!

Change list:

1.3
• Fixed control responsiveness (keyboard & mouse)
• Fixed replay recording and playback
• Fixed water buckets freeze in observatory
• Fixed hero facing direction after pulling a chain
• Classic Gameplay Changes
° Random Items (rocks, elixirs, food, poison)
° More aggressive snakes
° Faster gargoyles
° Food only restores 50% health
° Slide into dungeons looses health
° Bombed guards don't respawn
° Randomized river logs
° Wizard and Witch kill you if you haven't picked up the orb
° Hero explodes if trying to carry two orbs
• Easier Novice Mode
° Start with 5 lives / Maximum of 12
° Less aggressive enemies
° Fewer traps & hazards
• New Features
° Replays have no recording size limit
° Replays can be paused during recording and playback
° Replays can fast-forward by pressing the right arrow key or caps-lock key
° Replays can skip rooms by pressing the down arrow key
• Files and folders are stored in Application Support folder by default
• Other misc. bug fixes.

Sounds good to me, let me know what you think!

Beat the game? Want another 5 minutes of Content?

Zack Black has given us a test level set made with the level editor for an example. It contains very little content, and can be beaten fairly quickly, but hey! It's an example, just something for us to look forward to.

If you'd like to grab a copy, just right click this link, and save file:

LINK

To instal it, simply drag it to the "DC3 Custom Levels" folder in the "Dark Castle 3 ƒ" folder, then enter the level: Laboratory, and pull a chain, it will ask you for a level set, select "Test Levels" and then walk below the tube next to the switch and hit W.

Enjoy!

Return to Dark Castle problems? Patch incoming, Soon..

Find any bugs in DC3? Yes? No?

Well, I know I wasn't the only person to find a handful of bugs, such as broken replays and unresponsive controls. Also there were crashing glitches, and numerous bugs and glitches.

Well, worry no more, as it looks like Zack Black has been working on a patch that will fix most of the problems currently present in DC3.

The main ones to think about is the controls, which will be 4 times more responsive, and the replays, which should work every time.

Sounds good to me, got any other bugs you'd like to let him know about? Throw a comment over here.

Lastly, release date? None is set yet, but it shouldn't take too long.

The moment you have ALL been waiting for. No joke.

It's here. Get it. Now.

LINK

Slight news, and major apologies.

Zack Black Has posted some new news, and a apology:

In response to all the angry posts about us jumping the gun and hyping false release dates: If only it were that black and white. When I said it was "done" back in Dec. '06, I meant exactly that. Delta Tao was going to distribute for us. They didn't have the large team of beta testers or other resources that SHFF has, so they were happy with it as it stood, as were we. I personally don't care about a bug or two here and there as long as there is nothing serious like the game suddenly locking up while you're in the middle of playing, because I know we can always make an update a week or two down the road that takes care of any minor quirks. We believed the game was ready to ship. Then a few weeks later, the year rolled over and Delta Tao lost the rights back to SHFF. Begin exhaustive beta testing, changes to art, new features (Novice mode), etc. I'm really not bitter about all of this, as I believe it has made DC3 a better product. But don't misunderstand: It was just as ready then to go public. So, when the public demo 1.1 was released a few weeks back, it was also "done", as in SHFF had it uploaded to the server was ready to flip the switch to make it live. I was 99.99% that is was going to happen that day or the following. Then SHFF got worried about the game being massively pirated and they pulled the plug at the last minute. I apologize about getting people worked up, but I only did that because I was sure that it really was just around the corner. So as to not upset anyone else, I will not be posting any more "hints" about when I think it's ready. "It will be up when it's up." Besides, nothing interesting ever happens on Thursdays anyway... (bat)

Well, there you have it, I know you are all as annoyed as a dog being denied a ball, but at least you have some insight into what has been going on.

Copyright protection update:

Zack Black:

Frustrating times for everyone, I know. We're doing as much as humanly possible with SHFF to get this all wrapped up and into all of your anxious hands. MSP is wanting something that is flexible for everyone, meaning you can register once and play on multiple macs (up to a limit of course). I know it's a tough wait, and gets tougher the closer we get. Please don't despair. We have a system nailed down and are in the process of integrating and testing it this weekend. Like someone mentioned on here the other night, this will all seem like a distant memory once you get to click that big red download button. Yeah? Let's all try to be patient just a little longer and it will happen. Thank you everyone for your support. (Mutant)

There you have it, let's all hope for the best.

6 days, sorry about that.

First off, I don't have any big news, but hey, it's been 6 days, so I'm hoping this will be good enough for now.

For one thing I have beat the game on beginner, and have managed to get 97%, but that last 3% is hidden to well for me to find... I am trying to beat the game on Advanced, but not being the best Dark Castle player, it is taking some trouble.

Now, I'm sure people are asking "Well, where is my copy?" It's true, you should have your copy, after all, I do. This story though, goes like so:

The game is done, and was all ready to be put up, but at the last minute, SuperHappyFunFun decided that it was afraid of mass pirating, and is considering putting on additional copy protection. Zack Black, is doing his best to convince them otherwise.

Zack Black said a few days ago that there was a good chance for it to come out within the week, though considering that there is only one day left in the week, I would assume probably next week.

Something else I seemed to have missed on the IRC chat, apparently someone from SHFF signed on, and was talking to people, letting them know that they want it out as bad as we do.. Well, I guess we can all hope.

Sorry I don't have more, or better news...

P.S: In addition, I would like to thank everyone for their comments, and remember, you don't have to sign up to comment, so if you have any questions, go ahead and leave a comment, and I will answer it.

Update: Is this finally it?

In regards to the other news story about the "storm coming", Zack Black has posted something new:

...as the fireball hit the wererat's brown matted hide, it lit up like dry brush on a hot summer day. The beast shrieked and collapsed into a pile of black soot as the hot magic consumed its evil body. The pungent smell of singed hair polluted the otherwise fresh evening breeze. As the orange glow of the fire faded from Bryant's face, he felt a single raindrop hit his cheek. Looking up he could see the dark storm clouds gathering overhead. It was time to head to the tower top.


Time for the next round testing
No, I said... it's time to head to the tower.

This sounds like the news we have all been waiting for.

News from Zack Black

Good marrow all, and happy anniversary to the great DC forum! Well, I really pushed to have the game released today, but sometimes no matter how hard we try there are things beyond our control, and we must accept them. I do have some good news though. There is only one remaining bug, but it is kind of a nasty one. I say this because it is only happening on one Mac that SHFF has (and it is a real crash, not a harmless quirk) so we're having to do some long distance bug tracking and it's a slow process. We do have some tricks up our sleeve though, so with any luck we'll get this thing squashed and... well, you know... Keep those shields ready. The weatherman predicts a storm moving in next week. 8)

Straight from Zack Black, the closest thing to a release date in a while.

Here's some more quotes:

"Though he hinted that it MIGHT be next week."
The weather can be difficult to predict. There is definitely a storm front on the horizon, but wether we'll get thunder and lightning remains to be seen.

Time to keep those fingers crossed.

Calm Before the Storm update

Zack Black has given us a few more riddles, and clues to the coming news, here are the snippets:

While SHFF has been busy hunting pests, I have not been idle. I decided to try a different approach to perhaps bring the rats out of hiding. After much pondering, I recalled a trick a friend of mine showed me once, when he helped the townspeople of Hamelin. (Rat)


"It's called playing us a merry tune and having us follow along hypnotised. So as I said "
This is one possible interpretation. There is definitely another. (Rat) (Rat) (Rat)


"There are three of them following you now... Which way is the river?"
Lol. Ahem... Ah, but it is neither the river nor the rats that are of interest. I shall say no more, but rather hum quietly to myself as I read the posts.

So, again, take this how you will, and rack your brain for any possible solution to the riddles, and if you find anything, let me know with a comment!

UPDATE:

Zack posted some more hints, along with a "hint.mp3"

"The Pied Piper? He's a pretty cool dude."

Very cool dude. We used to jam together back in the day. (rat)(rat)(rat)(rat)(rat)

"Every one of his posts refers to music. Even when he says he'll hum quietly"

(Whispers nonchalantly and stares at the ceiling...)

LINK - Hint.mp3

"Looking at the file info, it was encoded with Amadeus II, which is my audio editor of choice"

Methinks there will be much amusement over the riddles and secrets in RTDC. ;)

"Maybe Zack Black's so frustrated with the delays and not being able to say anything that he's done slightly mad and this is how he's venting."

This would seem to make the most sense since I did use A(mad)ues to encode the music.

In the end, it looks as though Zack Black has added music, though we don't have a confirmation at this point.

Zack Black: The Calm Before the storm

Last week was a slow week, hmmm...

Take this as you will, it could mean that the game is set for release.... Or it could be, that there is news coming.. Take it as you will, but take it for good news. :)

NEWS! Straight from the source

First off, the picture is a custom level made by Zack Black to show off the level editor.

Also, Zack Black was left us all with some news, so, I will go straight to the quotes.

GAME NEWS:

Here's the latest news: SHFF has very thorough beta testers. DC3 is, and has been, extremely stable for about the last 6 months to a year. SHFF is finding little things like, say you use a morning star in the training to defeat the henchmen then die by running into a wall and restart the training while patting your head and rubbing your tummy AND you're playing on a Friday the 13th, then the training stops working and you have to quit back to the main screen, lol. I'm not knocking them for their hard work, it's great to have people who can find these weird little edge cases we never thought of, but that is what is actually delaying the game at this point. Let me be clear that MSP wants to release ASAP, as in today if it were possible. But they are going to continue to experiment and stress test until they are completely satisfied with it. In the supposed "final" build that was sent to them around the time the trailer was released, they found 13 of these little quirks. I fixed all of them and sent another build a few days ago, in which they uncovered 5 more. All of which were quickly dealt with. I sent them another build last night with all issues solved. They will test it on Monday at the latest.

The release is very close. It's NOT going to take another year. SHFF wants it out as badly as we (you) do. Stay cool all.

Level Editor news:

The level editor will likely be made available as a free download shortly after the game is released. Price is yet to be determined, but likely in the $20 - $30 range. Distribution is initially going to be download only, but SHFF is looking at boxed copies down the road if it sells well.

I think most of you expect that I never answer any of these because I've been hiding in a crack in the Dungeon for the last couple of years. I'm making an effort to play a more active role now.

You can customize wall / floor textures, stairs, backgrounds, just about anything except for items and enemies.

So, I'm sure everyone will be happy with this news. I know I was. :)

Now, as promised, a shout out to everyone that left comments before!

Thayne, you are stoked for Return to Dark Castle. Thanks for leaving a comment!

Izdale, I know you go to the forums and such, but I said I would give a shout out to everyone who left a comment, Thanks!

Freed, I'm right there with you, I can't see how anyone wouldn't be excited for DC3! Tahnks for the comment!

Anonymous, You may not have put a named down, but I'm glad you read this blog, and I'm sorry there isn't more news to share. Thanks for the comment!

Hamishi, Thank you! I'm glad some people are reading this, and Thanks for the comment!

UPDATE: Zsculpt.com partially updated.

I realized that there was something I missed when I first read the page, and thanks to 'Bryant Esquire', I noticed it, and without further adu:

Many milestones have been reached in the recent weeks, so we can finally think about what comes after DC3's release. Feel free to post the trailer anywhere you like, and spread the word that the final release is just days away.

I bolded the part that is the best news of all. :)

Magic Brooms - News From Zack Black

Why did Merlin conjure them up? To help sweep away the nasty dust and spiders that plagued him while he was working on his electrical inventions. If only the software development process was as easy to deal with. Not to worry though, the current build is very stable on all the Mac setups we've tested, but SHFF seems to have a knack for discovering rats that escaped our traps.

I quotith Zack Black, and once again, you can take this any way you want, it could mean that everything is done, and he is just worried SHFF might dig up some small bug. Or it could be taken as, they found another glitch at the last moment...

Like I said, take this how you will?

Update: "Tomorrow's News"

Now, after yesterday's news flash, the news finally came.

Sadly, the game is not out. BUT before you start screaming and breaking things, that doesn't mean that nothing has happened.

Zack Black and SuperHappyFunFun have brought us the 'first' Return to Dark Castle trailer, and good gosh, it's amazing, so without spoiling anything more, I shall link you:

LINK

Enjoy!

P.S. If you would like to discuss it, feel free to visit this forum topic:

LINK