So we’ve had a couple reports from our beta testers that sometimes the terrain on the map is all black with only 3D models and trees visible. We were familiar with the issue but ignored it until recently, simply because we though “naah, who still uses those old DX 9 cards anyway”. Indeed, most of the users now have at least DX11 cards, it’s been around for a good while now and most of the players bough a new hardware in the meantime. But, to our surprise, some DX10 cards reported they are DX11, but didn’t quite support the things required to render our terrain. This was a serious issue, as according to Steam, there are some 20% of players still on DX10. All these players wouldn’t be able to play Thea, and would probably ask for a refund and/or post a negative review. Unacceptable, even for Early Access.
So, Khash did some coding magic (checking Shader Model version, among other things) and now we have a fully functional game on older cards. Well, almost, he still needs to fix the map markers that don’t appear. But that’s 5 minutes work at most đ Here’s a screenshot comparing both modes:
Another thing – Thea was selected, as 1 of 17 finalists, for Pixel.Awards as part of Pixel Heaven 2015, happening 25-27th September in Warsaw. We are thrilled, as the competition this year is world class. So – for those who won’t attend EGX in Birmingham, Pixel Heaven will be another chance to try Thea out before release. Keep your fingers crossed too, as there are awards given in 6 categories!
See you soon!