Greetings, Adventurers!

ACSG version 1.1.3 brings powerful new features to the dynamics of your adventures and essential fixes to keep your journey stable.

⚔️ ENEMIES AND THE POWER OF AoE SCOPE 

Enemies have now become much more dangerous! Following previous updates where we allowed heroes to use area-of-effect abilities, enemies have now mastered this capability as well.

• Area Actions: You have total flexibility to define both the Normal Attack and any of the Specials (Healing, Damage Round, and Paralyze Round) as AoE (Area of Effect).
  

• Combat Dynamics: By activating this option in the Editor, the enemy's action ceases to be individual and simultaneously affects all active party members.

• Elevated Strategy: Enemies can now heal all their allies at once or paralyze your entire party in a single turn, requiring much more strategic preparation for your heroes.

🎲 NEW FEATURE: RANDOM PAGE SYSTEM (@RND:)

Now, the INTERFACE BUTTONS allow for the creation of unpredictable events with the new @RND: command. With it, you can transform a single button into an automatic destination randomizer within a map.

• How it works: When starting a button's text with the special command @RND:, the system uses the "Destination Map" field as a reference and draws, in real-time, any of the pages you have created within that specific map.

• Versatility: Ideal for any situation where you want a random result! For example: a Tarot system, casual encounters with NPCs, dialogues that change with every click, or any other mechanic your imagination creates.
  
  
• RAD Flexibility: You don't need to program the randomness. Simply create the pages in the desired map, and ACSG handles the draw for you, presenting the resulting page naturally.
  
  
• Editor Tip: The @RND: command ignores the link's "Page" field. However, since the ACSG Editor requires all fields to be filled to save, you should fill the page field with any value just to validate the creation.

⚔️ CLASS UPDATES: VISUAL AND AUDIO FEEDBACK

Classes have received updates to allow for clearer visual and audio responses during combat:

• Damage Sprite: Added support for a new "taking damage" image. Now, the impact of enemy attacks is graphically visible.
  
  
• Customizable Audio: You can define optional sound effects for when a hero is hit or defeated, making the combat experience more dynamic.

NEW DETAILED CHARACTER SHEET 

Introducing the new Detailed Sheet, a more comprehensive consultation window for hero statistics.

• Advanced Status: I have expanded the ACSG strings section to include new fields linked directly to the sheet. I applied code improvements to this section to ensure that, if the data file is empty or inconsistent, the engine uses technical redundancy to fill the fields correctly, both in the Editor and In-Game. Additionally, I implemented a "Restore Defaults" button, allowing you to instantly return all fields to their original English values.

• Rank System: Attributes such as Accuracy, Evasion, and Critical Chance are displayed through Ranks (e.g., Deadly, Agile, Flawless) instead of pure percentages.
  
  
• Why Ranks? ACSG processes these attributes across multiple layers and distinct conditions. Displaying a simple number from 0 to 100% wouldn't accurately reflect what happens internally; for instance, two different attributes might have the same base numerical value but behave very differently due to their conditional variants. The use of Ranks resolves this visual confusion and increases immersion in the RPG style.
  
  
• Customization and Organization: The sheet is a new Interface. Like the others, you can modify fonts and the background image through the INTERFACES section. To accommodate this growth in options, I added a new exclusive tab in the Interfaces section, totaling 7 tabs for images and 1 for settings. I also refined the visual alignment in the Preload tab (Interface 1), correcting the positioning by a few pixels to ensure the Editor preview exactly reflects the final result presented In-Game.

👥 COMPOSITION CONTROL: UNIQUE CLASSES

It is now possible to define whether your game will allow duplicate classes in the party via the Unique Classes option in the CONFIG session.

• Balance and Strategy: This lock is ideal for ensuring a diverse party (like the classic quartet of Warrior, Cleric, Ranger, and Mage), preventing the player from using heroes with identical skills to overcome challenges.
  
  
• Message Customization: If the player tries to choose a class already present in the group, the system will block the creation. You can fully customize the warning displayed through a new field in the Strings section, as seen in the image below: 

• Total Flexibility: If the option remains disabled, the player will have the freedom to create varied compositions, such as a group formed entirely of warriors.

🗺️ MAP PROPERTIES: GENERAL OPTIONS 

A new field called General Options has been inserted into the map properties. Initially, it features the option to Block Teleportation Items.

• Utility: Depending on your project, this lock can be important for Level Design, as it prevents the player from using Teleportation items while in specific MAPS. This is ideal for complex dungeons where you want the player to learn to navigate the scenery to enter and exit, or a map before a Boss, preserving the intended challenge and narrative.
  
  
• Technical Note: The block only prevents teleportation from being initiated from within the configured map. It does not prevent the player from reaching this map using a teleportation item coming from another map.
  
  
• In-Game Feedback: When the block is active, if the player attempts to use a teleportation item in the specific MAP, the system prevents the action smoothly: no text message interrupts the game's atmosphere, but the Default Error Audio plays instantly. This sound indicates the action is not allowed in that location and can be customized in the engine's Audio section.
  
  
• Future Expansion: This field was structured to receive new global control options for the map as the engine's development needs evolve.

VISUAL STANDARDIZATION: VECTOR ICONS

To achieve a more aligned interface, I introduced vector drawing via code for specific buttons. It's a simple and discreet addition, but it paves the way for future improvements in the engine's visual standardization.

• Focus on Alignment: Initially applied to the close buttons of the quick attribute view, this technique helps keep the icon centered, regardless of DPI settings or the system fonts of each user.
  
  
• Customization: In the Interfaces section, you still have control over the font color of these buttons (which defines the color of the drawing). Note that to ensure a more precise and standardized (pixel perfect) finish, the font type and size options are specifically ignored for these icons.

🛠️ BUGFIXES

• Attribute Preview: Fixed a visual error in the Editor where the Mana bars for heroes 2, 3, and 4 appeared in the Preview even with the option to hide attributes activated. (Note: The error was restricted to the editing environment).
  
  
• Real-Time Update (Strings): Fixed latency in updating default terms. Previously, modifications in the Strings section were only reflected in previews (editable or not) after project compilation. Now, any change appears instantly in the Editor's viewing fields.
  
  
• DAMAGE ROUND (SUFFERED BY PLAYER / HEROES): Fixed a critical flaw where continuous damage caused by enemies was limited by the size of the player's party. Previously, if the hero was alone, they did not process round damage from multiple enemies simultaneously. The logic has been corrected to properly iterate over all enemies present in the encounter, ensuring each applies its respective damage effect independently.
  
  
• PARALYSIS CONTROL (SUFFERED BY ENEMIES): Fixed a flaw where the enemy paralysis turn count was interrupted prematurely. Previously, if an enemy suffered paralysis from multiple sources (such as different heroes or skills), the system failed to reduce the time of all counters simultaneously, which could leave the effect "stuck." The logic has been revised to correctly process each paralysis slot, ensuring the duration of all effects decreases independently each round.
  
  
• Routine Maintenance: Technical review of various modules to ensure stability and optimized performance in the execution of adventures.

REGARDING THE DEFAULT CONTENT USED IN NEW PROJECTS.

• All basic classes now have the damage-taken sprite and Pain and Fallen audios for both genders.
  
  
• The "Barbare" class has been renamed to a more accurate Barbarian.

⚙️ HOW TO UPDATE YOUR PROJECT

• Compatibility: Compatibility is guaranteed for projects created with the version immediately preceding the current one.
  
  
• Procedure: Uninstall the old version and install ACSG 1.1.3. Data migration is done automatically when opening your old project for the first time.

Important migration notes:

• Class Sprites: The new expression image ("Damage/Pain") will not be automatically copied to your classes. I did this to avoid any risk of overwriting or corrupting the work you've already done on them. Rest assured: the project will not crash. A blank image will be kept as a placeholder until you add your preferred new graphic.
  
  
• Strings File: For the same security reason, your strings file will not be overwritten. To ensure the game works immediately, the engine will use default terms hardcoded into the system.
  
  
• Recommendation: Open the Strings section in the editor, review the new "Advanced Status" terms, and click Save. This will commit the data to your specific file and allow for full customization.
  
  
• Important: It is highly recommended to accept the Manual update when prompted.

I hope you enjoy the new features and I count on everyone's support! 👍