Today is the day. Waltz of the Wizard has now been updated with our first major expansion - Natural Magic. Now live on Steam!

This is the largest production in our long history. We founded Aldin in 2013 to create believable reality experiences — worlds that are truly designed around the concept of you physically being present in them, as if they are reality. We are proud to have come so far, and we can still hardly believe that we have the privilege to help pioneer this amazing new medium.



This is in no small part thanks to the wonderful VR community of early adopters and users of Trial of the Rift Drifter, Asunder and lastly Waltz of the Wizard, who have supported us throughout the years. This is why we are giving Natural Magic to all our existing users free of charge, while the base price of Waltz of the Wizard will now increase from $9.99 to $19.99 to reflect the scope and breadth of content we are adding.



In Natural Magic, we pushed the limits of what is possible with current VR hardware (and ourselves as developers). Of the many new-to-VR features we are shipping today, here are few to mention; New magic physics engine which uses natural user motions and mic input to simulate magic and make it feel real, using an advanced particle based approach. This allows us to deliver never-before seen dynamics in interactions between the user’s presence, magic particles and the virtual world, to deliver an extremely diverse simulation of fun situations and events to enjoy over and over again.



This is just the first step in exploring the entirely new territory of simulated magic and we are very excited to keep developing it with more advanced gestures, interactions and overall functionality. We’re also introducing new advanced physical characters that can react believably in boundless number of ways to various situations and combat scenarios. Lastly we’ve created a new procedural based world-building system with believable reflective environmental lighting and immense flexibility going forward. All of these features and many more will be expanded on in upcoming updates.



We truly hope you find Natural Magic continues to deliver on making fantasy feel like reality—and we look forward to hearing from you. There are a ton of things in Natural Magic, including the natural magic system itself, and we’re sure you’ll both find a lot that could be better as well dream up countless ideas on how it can expand going forward. This is just the beginning and the future is bright—thank you all for the journey to date.

- The Aldin Team

Hello friends. Version 0.8.2.1 is ready. Saves from previous versions should work correctly.

In the new version, you will find a new dungeon system. Previously, a dungeon was a series of connected rooms filled with items and enemies. Now it is a small adventure with a constant choice - to move on and risk health and property, or escape with the available loot.

• Dungeons appear close to the player and disappear after a while
  
• This is now a sequence of rooms with increasing difficulty and loot size
  
• First room - always guarded, but weak
  
• After passing the room, you have the choice to move on or retreat
  
• Each room can be safe or guarded
  
• If there is a guard in the room, you will have to fight or persuade
  
• The last room has the most difficult enemy and the most loot
  
• After leaving the dungeon, starting from the second room, the dungeon will disappear
  
• All of this does not affect dungeons saved in previous versions

Some other changes:

• Fixed: Filters "Mercenaries" and "Other" are confused
  
• The inventory window has become larger, the inventory cells are more contrasting
  
• Added sounds for some buttons
  
• Fixed some minor bugs

Thank you friends. I look forward to your feedback and suggestions. It's very interesting to know your opinion.

With Ys IX finally releasing on PC, we've reached the most critical point of one of the most challenging porting projects we have undertaken so far. Some of these challenges were unavoidable, while others were of our own making, but we believe we've overcome the vast majority of them and are ready to provide a great version of the game. In this article we'd like to go into a bit of detail on some of PC-specific features and the optimization work which went into this version of the game.

Some of us here at PH3 are PC gaming enthusiasts. While this is hopefully a good thing for everyone who plays our ports, it also means that we frequently create substantial workloads for ourselves by introducing features that weren't strictly necessary -- and that is certainly the case for Ys IX.

In porting Ys IX to PC, we implemented full mouse/keyboard support. This includes not just the basics of controlling the game (with raw mouse input for camera control!), but also rebinding of all actions with up to two bindings each, pointer controls in all menus, mouse wheel scrolling where appropriate, and adaptive prompts depending on your preferred input device and binding.

These might sound like trivial changes, but in a game with a substantial amount of custom UI that was only ever designed for a controller, they are more laborious than you might think.

Ys IX was originally designed for 60 FPS, but in an action game having the possibility to reach higher framerates is always desirable, especially for those with a high-end PC. Our beta testers helped us find all the large and small ways in which the game could break when going beyond 60 FPS, and step by step we managed to make everything work at up to 144 FPS with full support.

Many console games are built with the assumption that 16:9 is the only aspect ratio which needs to be supported, and going beyond it can introduce all manner of issues, especially related to UI but also with other rendering such as special effects. As such, fully supporting wider aspect ratios, including UI, in such games is much more than just a small hack, but we committed to this for Ys IX and hope you'll love the result.


Here is a list of additional features and options added to the PC version:

• Arbitrary resolution support (tested up to 8k)
  
• Camera field of view adjustment setting
  
• General Sampling Rate option (supports sub-sampling for low-end systems and supersampling for high-end systems)
  
• Draw distance and Foliage Density settings to go beyond console on the high-end or gain extra performance on the low end
  
• Shadow Filtering (including PCSS) and Shadow Resolution options
  
• Various individual Postprocessing options, including HBAO+ ambient occlusion
  
• Color blindness accessibility filters

With the initial state -- fundamentally improved since -- of Ys VIII on PC still in mind, performance was a key concern when bringing Ys IX to PC. This is doubly important as Ys IX is actually an inherently far more challenging game to run than its predecessor, as the latter was still designed to also work on the PlayStation Vita.

By the time we were ready to ship an initial version of Ys IX to our PC beta testers, we had already improved performance by around a factor of 2 compared to the very first version on PC, by fixing various of the more obvious bottlenecks. We labeled this initial closed beta version 0.9.0.



But still, reaching roughly 68 FPS in the CPU limit on my development PC (Intel 9900k) seemed quite lacking, even taking into account the increased draw distance compared to console and the fact that this measurement was taken in the most challenging location in the game from a performance perspective.

This started a deep investigation of the game's performance characteristics, and improvements and sometimes outright rewrites of several aspects of it. Before we go into a bit more detail for each version, I'd like to note that all of these are true optimizations: the output and behaviour of the game remains exactly the same.

• In 0.9.1 we introduced various parallelization and asynchronous execution features to optimize the DX11 drawing process. Nsight systems was a really invaluable tool for this purpose, since it provides insight into the behaviour of each thread at each point in a frame. While this parallelization provided a very substantial performance improvement, it actually slightly increased frametime instability as well.
  
• Version 0.9.2 re-implemented the way in which the engine deals with sampler states, pre-generating them and using this set of pre-generated samplers rather than re-generating new ones on demand during each frame, as well as a few more minor optimizations.
  
• When comparing FPS, version 0.9.3 doesn't seem like too big a step, but it included the replacement of the game's memory allocator with the excellent rpmalloc, which also lead to a more consistent performance profile and decreased loading times.
  
• In version 0.9.4 we completely reimplement D3D11 buffer handling for both dynamic geometry and instancing-related memory buffers. Not only did this significantly improve performance, it did so while allowing us to get rid of one of the threads introduced in the earlier parallelization.
  
• Finally, in 0.9.5 we reduced the latency of the graphics pipeline and resolved some clipping issues, getting rid of a few unnecessary drawing operations. No changes which could be expected to affect performance were made after this point, which is also confirmed by the benchmark results.

This FPS comparison alone does not tell the whole story of course. The difference in stability can also be substantial, as illustrated in these videos of version 0.9.0 and version 0.9.3.


Beyond that, there are some particular situations which show an even more substantial improvement, such as the infamous "black fish fog" incident -- pointed out by one of our beta testers above -- which prompted the investigation and ultimate replacement of the D3D11 buffer handling infrastructure.

After reading the above, you might be tempted to think that Ys IX is now a masterclass in performance, and that everyone will be able to run it at maximum settings without any issues. That is decidedly not the case. The game still has substantial GPU performance requirements, and several of the settings we introduced exact a very severe performance toll -- above all the general supersampling option.

But even with those options disabled or scaled back, and all the performance optimization discussed above, it is still a game which is inherently substantially more difficult to run well than Ys VIII. However, we did introduce some options that should make it possible for those on lower-end systems to have a smooth experience, including the possibility to fully disable dynamic shadowing, reduce the sampling rate of the 3D rendering, decrease the draw distance, and reduce the density of foliage.

This port would not have been possible without the fantastic work of our indefatigable beta testers, the excellent contributions of my fellow developers at PH3, and the support of NISA. Hopefully it will be an enjoyable experience for you.

- Peter "Durante" Thoman, CTO, PH3

Hey and welcome back to a brand new summer edition of the Fishblast! We are going to be looking into some fantastic creations by our modding community and building creations by the designers hidden in our community.

As summer has arrived for most of us, we wanted to see how you could create something that feels very summer-like but in an aquarium. User 100_pourcent on the Megaquarium Discord did just that with a fantastic build!



By using various paints, tank-types and mods they created a beach-themed aquarium. I will just try to avoid sticking my toes in the floor tanks.



All the small details really make this type of build work. How long did it take you to realize this was made in Megaquarium?



Are you going to try something similar? What do you think? Tell us in the comments.

In the theme of summer, one of the things I instantly think of is: colours! Summer is always lovely, bright and happy colourations everywhere. So what better way to share a mod by using this creation by Irritating Fish! This mod was created for a modding challenge on the discord with the theme: Small Fish.




Introducing 7 colourful fish for any beach-party!

• Redcoat (Sargocentron rubrum)
  
• Dispar Anthias (Pseudanthias dispar)
  
• Golden Hamlet (Hypoplectrus gummigutta)
  
• Belted Wrasse (Stethojulis balteata)
  
• Blue Hamlet (Hypoplectrus gemma)
  
• Purple Reeffish (Chromis scotti)
  
• Western Gobbleguts (Ostorhinchus rueppellii)

With these fish you too can enjoy a colourful day under the water!

[Click here to release this mod pack into your aquarium].

As a new segment for the Fishblast we would like to interview one of our members from the community and learn about their experiences with the game.

Today we will be talking to SaltbrushC a member that has been around for quite a time and has created various mods for the community.

Q: When did you learn about Megaquarium?
A: I watched YouTuber GrayStillPlays’ as they played the game in April 2019 I believe!

Q: What aspect of the game made you buy it?
A: I have always loved fish and other aquatic animals, and the style of the game was just intriguing. I was absolutely thrilled at the idea of putting sea lettuce in a tank. The animals were neat as well but it was the artstyle of the overall game that I initially liked.

Q: What is your favourite thing to do in Megaquarium?
A: Well, if I'm honest, it's modding. Although I do have some ideas for builds that I either am too lazy to make or can't figure out how to make. Sometimes I'm missing something that I want for a build, which causes me to try and add it through a mod.

Q: Is there a species you always use in your buildings?
A: I often include Coral Groupers, Clownfish, and Purple Queen Anthias in reef sections which are usually all I end up actually making. For the freshwater DLC: I love having Giant Hatchetfish and Fan Shrimp.

Q: Do you have any tips or tricks for the community to share?
A: I always use deep wall tanks or other wall tanks and make them really wide, I just like the feeling of gallery-like tanks that are extended along a wall.






Range: Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Ocean
Habitat: Near reefs and in water above 10 Degree Celsius
Size: up to 150 cm (5 feet)
Weight: 68–190 kg (150–419 lb)
Diet: Omnivorous (Carnivore as a young, Herbivore as an adult)

• Tropical waters
  
• Water quality at least 55%
  
• Armored
  
• Likes Plants
  
• Green Pellet Eater
  
• Active Swimmer
  
• Requires Feeding Skill 2

• The green turtle is the largest species of hard-shelled turtles, and is the second largest of all sea turtles.
  
• Sea turtles lay their eggs in a nest they dig in the sand with their rear flippers. The group of eggs is called a clutch.
  
• The temperature of the eggs determines if the turtle becomes a male or female at hatching. Colder incubation temperatures create males, while warmer incubation temperatures create females!
  
• Green turtles are named after their green-coloured fat, which they get from their herbivorous diet of seagrass and algae.

Last month we asked you to do an aquascaping challenge and we found an awesome tank for you!
User SwornEnemy79 created this lovely aquascaped tank using the mods we provided for you.




If you're struggling for ideas on where to start, why not post in the comments, Steam discussions or pop on the game's https://discord.gg/jKpSJKA7Rh and ask for a helping hand. :)

We can’t wait to see your creations. Feel free to post them in our discord or upload your images on to the screenshot page for Megaquarium.

--

Want to be more involved in our community? Join our https://discord.gg/jKpSJKA7Rh and share your works, we love seeing what you created and maybe we will feature your work in the next FishBlast.

Have a great summer!
Your community liaison, Timmiegun

4.2.27

• Roles and permissions update for the MRE system
• Bug fixes and performance improvements

Patch 1.27.5 contains bugfixes and quality of life improvements!

Features:
-Added visual cues to distinguish which clearings are available to build in for Marquise de Cat.
-Players can now read tooltips of cards mentioned in the Action Log.

Bugfixes:
-Eyrie no longer deals rolled hits when their last warrior is removed by the Marksmen ability in the Marksmen challenge.
-Resolved a visual issue where a Woodland Alliance supporter was not displayed if gained when the deck was being reshuffled.
-Reduced the frequency of Eyrie Dynasties AI entering turmoil when options are available to fulfill their decree.
-The AI will no longer exclusively choose to play as the Ranger Vagabond.
-Removed Dominance cards from Challenges where they are not relevant.
-Fixed an issue where the Vagabond icon would change while moving on a Riverboat.
-The Electric Eyrie now displays the correct icon.
-Players should now see the correct amount of VP when viewing Vagabond quests.
-The Outrage card selection panel will now only display when there are cards to select.

06-07-2021

Having issues or have suggestions? Join us on Discord or post on the Steam Discussions!

Added:
- Added 'Move all windows' button to Window List to move all windows at the same time.
- Added 'Move all windows' button to Simulator Mode's Window List. (Finally something coming to both modes, woo!)
- Added outdated Windows warning to the desktop settings window.

Changes:
- Removed the 'Disable game theatre due to a Steam bug' message as Valve has fixed this bug, woooo!
- Windows cursor will no longer be moved to the top left of the screen when in Simulator Mode and not pointing at an overlay.
- Removed night light options from Global Settings as this feature isn't yet implemented with the new rendering technique. (A little stumped on how to do this!)

Bug fixes:
- Improved crash handling logic.
- Improved crash handling and prevention.
- Fixed Touchpad Scrolling continuing to scroll when moving from an unlocked to locked window.

• Here it is folks! We have heard your feedback and got to work to address a concern that has been troubling us. We started with the first wave of new anti-cheat methods and reprimands. We cannot exactly say what that entails for obvious reasons but you should be having a much better experience.
  
  Remember the more feedback and reports you provide us the better experience we can provide you, so keep them rolling

• Fixed the bug where items in inventory would sometimes overlap.
  
• Fixed the bug where camo jacket would stay floating when dropped.
  
• Fixed the bug where sewing kits would still disappear even if the repair action was cancelled.
  
• Fixed the bug where it was possible to do shenanigans with burying items.
  
• Fixed the bug where it was possible to build BB elements on top of cargo drops.
  
• Fixed the bug where it was possible to reignite flares indefinitely.
  
• Fixed the bug where igniting flares would sometimes cause a crash.
  
• Fixed the bug where entering photo mod with weapon in hand would bug out your character.
  
• Fixed the bug where blueprint would recognize items with 0 uses.
  
• Fixed the bug where you could not jump through windows that recently had fortifications on them.
  
• Fixed the bug where some items would not get destroyed when reaching 0 usages.
  
• Fixed the bug where it was not possible to bury items on steeper slopes.
  
• Fixed the bug where player could move for a while before the cutting interaction.

• M16A4 folding sights are now repairable with toolbox
  
• Bonfires and fireplaces can now be crafted with both dirt and clean rags.
  
• Reduced the range of where you can start defusing suicide puppets.
  
• Players can now damage signs with melee weapons.
  
• Hatchets are now repairable with grinding stones.

• Logs will now show traps when activated not every time they deal damage.

We're thrilled to tell you a little about Project G, our next game, and our first foray into the roguelite genre.

Project G is a co-op action roguelite set in a dark fantasy universe. We've dropped our first teaser in our series to set the stage for our game annoucnement and trailer over the coming months.

This first teaser should give you a window into the vibe we're going for with Project G.



As we mentioned at the beginning of the year, we're excited to take some of the best features and aspects of Enemy On Board and bring them to our new project. To that end, we think Project G will be quite fun if you enjoyed EOB, and are looking for playtesters as we near our first outside playtests soon.

If you are interested ~ {LINK REMOVED}Sign Up Here!

Our next free update - The Crew® 2 Season 3 Episode 1: US Speed Tour East - will be available to all The Crew® 2 players on July 7 including on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®5.

This new episode includes new time-attack events, vehicles, as well as a new Motorpass available right away following the Episode launch.

We will continue to roll fresh live content out to the game on a regular basis: vehicle drops, LIVE Summits, Quality of life changes (check out our dedicated blog), vanity items and much more!



You’ll find the full details below.


Season 3 Episode 1: US Speed Tour East will push our players to experiment new time-attack events throughout the eastern part of the United States . Longer races coupled with hard barriers will guarantee a true competitive environment to decide who’s the fastest among all your friends.

Players will be allowed to enlist as a Crew, if slipstreaming can provide an edge, some tight corners will require the highest precision to make the most out of it!



Starting on July 7, the first stage of the US Speed Tour East will be available to all as a brand-new event. In the following 8 weeks, additional events will offer the opportunity to rally one eastern US landmark to another.

Additionally, a pre-existing event picked from a list of community-favourite races and modified to be played as Speed Tour time-attack race, will be added to the calendar each week.

Over the course of the entire US Speed Tour East Episode, you will enjoy a total of 8 new events plus 8 additional Special events repackaged into time-attack mode. Two new events will be unlocked each week, until the end of the Episode.

You can access the events via a dedicated tab in the Activities menu and the newly- added Motorflix category. As usual events can also be joined via the game map or directly through the disciplines menu.

We are also continuing the vehicle drops (separate to the Motorpass) that our players are used to enjoying with each of our updates. As a glimpse of the line-up coming with Season 3 Episode 1: US Speed Tour East, our players will have the chance to pilot the impressive Pontiac GTO THE JUDGE (Rally Raid), the efficient KTM X-BOW R (Alpha Grand Prix) and finally the astonishing Porsche Carrera 911 RSR Turbo (Touring Car). All of which will be released on July 7th.

More vehicles will also be added throughout the duration of the Episode.







All of the above vehicles will be available for purchase in bucks or Crew Credits, on July 7. Stay tuned over the following weeks and months for more vehicle drops, and for our usual new vanity item rotations.


Here is a breakdown of what is to expect in the Motorpass with the new update:



For the competitors out there, the latest batch of LIVE Summits begins on July 7 with the Grand Depart.



Our first Premium LIVE Summit will come on July 14, and will feature the Chevrolet CORVETTE C2 2.0 Edition as a Platinum reward.



Be sure to check The Crew® Hub regularly to track your progress.

As usual, July 7 is just the beginning! Content drops and themed weeks will continue to offer regular, fresh new experiences as Episode 1: US Speed Tour East travels across the United States.

Keep an eye on our weekly articles and official channels for the latest news and announcements. We’ll see you on the road!