Hey guys, here’s a list of what’s going to be in the upcoming Epic Battle Fantasy 4 update. This update aims to extend EBF4’s shelf life by adding many quality-of-life features from EBF5.
Most of this stuff is already finished, but it’s all going to require some testing before it goes live.
Here’s the changes:
• Removed the Steam DRM – the game should now run either as a .exe on Windows, or as a .swf file anywhere you want
• The Steam overlay works now – this makes it much easier to take and share screenshots
• Replaced the saving system with EBF5’s: a new type of .meow file is used, and .sol files are no longer used (unless running as a .swf)
(Your old saved games will be converted from .sol files to the new .meow files, and the old .meow files will remain unchanged)
(You’ll also have access to the old version of the game on Steam, if you ever want to go back)
• Added a confirmation prompt before overwriting save files
• Added the option to delete save files
• Added the backup save feature from EBF5 – you can now backup, name and share your save files
• Added the Zero difficulty option, which offers no challenge at all
• Added similar resolution and window options to what EBF5 has (up to 1080p, Best Fit mode, etc)
• Added the option to re-send medals to Steam by clicking on them in-game
• Added the option to delete all medals from the main menu
• Added the option to reset all stat boosting items if you want to apply them differently
• Added the ability to close most menus by right-clicking anywhere
• Added buttons to quickly select different players in battle
• Added buttons to quickly access the forge menu from the equips menu
• Disabling background animations also disables screen shaking now, which improves performance a lot
• Smoothed out the formula for enemy damage scaling over level 32 (no more sudden spike at final boss and Battle Mountain)
• Changed the summon power formula so that summon damage does not increase slower at level 33 and above
• Reduced player MP growth over level 20, to prevent nearly unlimited MP
• Foes drop much more AP towards the very end of the game, making it much easier to max out your skills
• Foes have up to 12% less HP in the Temple of Godcat and onwards to Newgame+ (again to speed up the pace)
• Party buffs, heals, and status effects now apply to the backup player too
• Buffed Sacrifice, Bubbles/Bubble Blast, Hyper Beam, Gaia Seed, Syphon, Debilitate, Dispel, and changed Dark Flare
• Soul Arrow no longer copies stats that are lower than yours
• Some unfair foe attacks have been nerfed (Flame wraiths only use death on hard mode now, etc)
• Many low-quality sound effects have been replaced with sounds from EBF5
• Fixed the rough edges on text shadows – the UI looks a bit smoother now
• Fixed a major memory leak issue that slowed the game down during long sessions
• Fixed an exploit where you can use the summon power variable for other skills
• Fixed some typos in equips and skills, making some broken effects work correctly now (better Power Metal healing, etc)
• Fixed some broken foe behaviours and incorrect bestiary descriptions (Green Bush, Black Dragon, etc)
• Fixed some scaling issues in the Endless Battle mode (summoned foes are at wrong level, limit break charging effected by difficulty, etc)
• Fixed the alternative animations for Mighty Oak and Praetorian not being saved correctly once acquired
Thanks for going back and making a great game better!
Yeesh, and here I thought I was busy during finals. Keep it going Matt!
I hope you put in the EBF5 change where removing a skill preserves its level, or make it so forgetting skills refunds the AP spent.
> Removed the Steam DRM
> Replaced the saving system with EBF5’s
> Buffed Hyper beam and Soul Arrow
Yes, yes, yes!
> Fixed a major memory leak
I’ll have to see this to believe it.
Hey, is there an ETA on the update?
EBF4 has always been my favorite game of the quintology, and I want to replay the game again when this comes out.
From what I’ve seen, I’d love an ETA when the update drops so I can play my favorite EBF game like never before.
Less than one month.
Thanks! Can’t wait!
Hi, thanks for the work on the update!
It would be nice to fix some plot holes too. Two that could be filled easily:
(ebf4 spoiler warning)
– Godcat says “Akron was my final gift to the humans, and I thought that would be the end of them. I created that abomination to ensure that no species could ever thrive on this planet again.” This implies Akron is younger than humanity, which contradicts Akron’s dialogue in ebf3: “For billions of years I have lived. I have in my memory the early days of this planet. When Earth was but rock and fire. Before life had even begun to evolve.” which implies Akron is much older than humanity
To fix this, one could change “I created that abomination” to “I transformed him into an abomination”. This would fit with the narrator saying “It is unknown whether Akron always had his current monstrous form” in the ebf3 ending.
– The ending says “And so Godcat departed once more, into the vastness of space, in search of a new world to call her home.” But this sounds like a weird way to put it when Godcat has the power to create worlds.
I’d suggest changing “in search of a new world” to “to create a new world”
As one last thing, the scanbot says Creator is the “creator of worlds”. As in more than one. It would be cool if Godcat got at least a line or two about the other worlds she has created.
Thanks again
YAY
fixing plot holes
shame on the matt rozask of the past form not notcing theses(i am joking)
Awesome, and just when I was thinking about playing it again.
Wow, I’m very excited for these changes. Thank you as always for making such fun games. Have a great day!