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What a freaking release! This one kept growing, and it could have grown even more, without aggressive cuts. I am honestly impressed I wrapped this up in about three months. There is a LOT new in here, so read these release notes thoroughly. I'm going to point out two very big things.
Firstly, there is a whole new points system for the second time in TBaK's history. I really hope this is its final form. Why I did a new points system is a much longer discussion for a future dev update.
What you need to know is that I went to the trouble of coding and testing a conversion that runs when you load a save and start either the beginning of Chapter 8, Chapter 9, or Chapter 10. Without this conversion, the game is still playable, as these new points have defaults set. But you'll get some weird behavior. You do not need to start a new game, but if you have a lot of extra time, you might want to. The beta team and I tested the hell out of the new system to make sure it worked with new games and from existing saves, but if you don't have a save from the end of Chapters 7, 8 or 9, you may encounter an issue.
The second big thing is a whole revamped codex for a lot of new stuff that gets setup in Chapter 10, as well as future gameplay to be introduced later. The codex is, once again, totally optional. If you want just the narrative, feel free to skip it. For those wanting to go deeper or better understand some of the decisions you'll be asked to make, the codex will help there. Way too much to list in terms of changes, so read the release notes below and then go check it out, if that is your bag.
Speaking of old saves, the codex may have some really weird behavior IF that points conversion is not triggered. If you load an old save and aren't immediately starting Chapters 8, 9, or 10, best to wait until you start one of those before trying to open the codex. There are chapter title cards to let you know when you begin a new chapter.
A whole lot of other quality of life improvements got added this release, including a fancy new notification system. Still more stuff to come, but I'm very pleased with the changes, and I think you will be also.
Final note, as this is already turning into a dev update, is that there is now a tutorial triggered the first time you start a new game or when you start Chapters 8, 9 or 10 from an old save. A one-time thing, and the latter tutorial is skippable, if you wish. The codex also has short tutorials to go over specific areas, but you will need to click to view those. Why? This is actually turning into a game, so I felt the need to have someone (not me) explain things to players both new and old. I think I've added enough humor to make the tutorial bearable, and it is short.
Now for the actual release. A lot happens in Chapter 10 (not just code updates!). Enjoy and get ready as we advance towards the last few chapters of Volume 2.
Downloads:
Here's what is new with Chapter 9:
A special thanks goes to my beta team. They have a lot of work each release now thanks to all these paths and options. I do what I can, but always good to get another set of eyes (and different saves) to ensure I didn't mess up too badly.
Thanks so much for your support, and I hope you love this chapter!
