Last Updated: 11/30/2014

This page shows the current version of the game client and a complete record of all changes made with each release.

Current Versions

v1.8.7 Released 11/30/14 (Google Play)

BUG FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

  • Added support for Android 5.0
  • Updated launcher icon to support XHDI, XXHDI, and XXXHDI resolutions

v1.8.5 Released 01/04/12

BUG FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

  • Fixed bug where players could not join live games from the chat lobby.
  • Improve: Added "Processing Request" prompt for loading matchmaking games to prevent accidental double clicking of button during game load.

v1.8.4 Released 01/04/12

IMPROVEMENTS

  • Improve: Added support for iOS retina devices
  • Improve: Added intelligent scaling for menu, prompts, and drop down menus
  • Improve: Improved performance for iOS retina devices

v1.8.3 Released 12/29/12

BUG FIXES

  • Fixed bug where animations for actions your opponent took during an asynchronous game were not being replayed upon loading the game.
  • Fixed bug where games would become stuck and unplayable due to a deck desynchronization resulting from differences in how the client interpreted game log data. Unfortunately, games that became stuck due to this desync issue cannot be repaired, so the server has been programmed to remove all open games with a database write older than one week from your game list.
  • Fixed bug where game results were not being properly recorded upon completing a game. This resulted in players seeing a “Defeat” status in their game list. What actually happened is that these games were flagged as complete but results records and player rating points were not updated due to a bug on the server. The game will now show these affected games as having an “Unknown” game status instead of “Defeat”. Players can correct the unknown status and receive credit for their win by reloading these games.
  • Fixed bug where an asynchronous multiplayer game would assign the wrong player to the first turn in the database which resulted in an inability for players to progress.
  • Fixed bug where eliminating players or surrendering would result in the database storing the wrong player for whose turn it is.
  • Fixed bug where randomly matched opponent’s profiles would remain question marks and the status would say “Waiting for your [YOUR NAME]” or “Waiting for null”.
  • Fixed bug where you'd see "Turn Submitted Successfully" prompt if you were a spectator and had not actually submitted a turn.
  • Fixed bug where the incorrect number of pages were appearing on leaderboards.

IMPROVEMENTS

  • Improve: Migrated the game and forum database to the same machine as the game server, resulting in more stable database writes. This should eliminate bugs where database previously failed to record game moves which resulted in turns not being submitted correctly and could potentially cause games to freeze.
  • Improve: Added a prompt to confirm ending turn. This feature is only available for asynchronous multiplayer games and games with no turn timer. The prompt will appear if you have “Show Action Warnings” activated in the settings menu.
  • Improve: Added “Turn Submitted Successfully” prompt when surrendering in an asynchronous multiplayer game.
  • Improve: Added server change where any incomplete games with their last recorded move older than 1 week will no longer appear on your game list. This change was intended to remove games that become unplayable due to errors. This also means if you want to get credit for games where your opponent has not recorded a turn within the allotted 72-hour period, you have to be very diligent about dropping them before the game record is removed. Incomplete games do not affect your rank or other stats.
  • Improve: Added the version number of the game client that created a game to the game record view. When reporting bugs, it is important to note which version the game record was created in. See below for version control information.

Version Control

Since I’m unable to control when new client updates are actually released on mobile stores like iTunes, Google Play, Nook, and Amazon, I’ve implemented a new form of version control to ensure mobile users can still play Hero Mages when new versions of the game are released.

Here's how it works:

  • Users using v1.8.3 will be able to finish games and watch replays of games as old as v1.8.0.
  • Users using versions older than v1.8.3 will not be able to play games that were created in v1.8.3.
  • Always report the game version of the game record when reporting bugs. Games with versions prior to v1.8.3 are still prone to errors that affected older versions of the game.
  • If you have active v1.8.3 games on your account and play on a device with v1.8.2 and use the "Next Game" option after submitting an async turn, the app will lock up and require a restart.

v1.8.2 Released 09/22/12

NEW FEATURES, BUG FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

  • New Feature: Players can now load ANY game record by using the Load Game button on the Friends and Account screen and providing the game record ID. The second field is for providing the command index to start the replay on. Share your favorite battles with your friends!
  • Improve: Added delay between actions during game replays. This makes the replay animations much more clear.
    Improve: Added an "OK" button to "Processing Request" prompt that allows you to close the prompt.
  • Improve: Added a "Processing Request" prompt to game invite button press to avoid duplicate invitations being sent.
    Improve: Game will not count "Start Turns" as last command witnessed. This means, if you load an async game and want to watch the replay animation again, you can quit and reload to see the animation once more.
  • Fixed bug with lightning bolt targeting that allowed user to target any unit in line of sight instead of only units on horizontal and diagonal paths.
  • Fix bug that would freeze game when certain combinations of animations were replayed during asynchronous games or game replays.
  • Fixed bug that would freeze the game when removing effects from a unit with Bless.
  • Fixed bug that allowed "Drop" button to appear over a player's badge when reloading a game that had already been completed.
  • Fixed bug where a player surrendering or being eliminated in an asynchronous multiplayer game with more than 2 people would fail to pass turn to the next player.

Previous Versions

v1.8.6 Released 05/19/13 (Google Play)

BUG FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

  • Fixed bug where In-App purchases would not activate properly
  • Improve: Updated AIR runtime to 3.7 (hoping this improves performance for my Nexus 10 users)

v1.8.0 Released 08/28/12

NEW FEATURES

  • Asynchronous Multiplayer: Players from around the world can now engage in epic multiplayer battles at their own leisurely discretion. Every multiplayer battle is saved to the server. You can take your turn while your opponent is offline and receive email notification when it's your turn again to play. Multiple async games can be played simultaneously and you can quickly take your turns for each game and move on to the next.

  • Seamless Real-Time to Async: Hero Mages ensures maximum flexibility, allowing players to engage in real time battles and play casually with async option. Need to leave and can’t finish your game? It's automatically captured on server so you and your opponent can resume playing later or take turns asynchronously. Have time to finish the fight face-to-face? The server will automatically connect you with your opponent if you're both online and access the game record.

  • Battle Replays: Relive your most glorious victories and learn from your defeats. You can now watch replays of your battles at the conclusion of every game as well as load battle replays from your previously played games list.

  • In-App Purchasing: Native In-App purchasing is now available for iOS, Android, and Amazon, allowing players to purchase Hero Mages expansion content via micro transactions directly within the app and start using the new content immediately.

  • Battle Reports: View detailed battle reports for every game you've ever played all the way back to Hero Mages v1.0 in July 2009! Starting with this version, game logs are tracked on server so you can even watch replays of your favorite battles.

  • Multiplayer Dashboard: The new multiplayer dashboard makes it easy to find your active games, check up on the leaderboard, and connect with new players.

  • Friends List: Become friends with any Hero Mages player and gain the ability to invite them to setup private game party invitations so you can play even when you can't be face to face.

GAME IMPROVEMENTS

  • Improvement: The marketplace now integrates intelligently with the game interface, allowing you to make purchases and add existing content from the context of the party builder and map editor, and the content activates without having to log out!
  • Improvement: Party Builder has been upgraded to include descriptions for each character. To learn more about a character, tap and hold on their character card. Expansion characters can also be purchased directly from party builder using the new marketplace button.
  • Improvement: Player stat cards can now be accessed directly by pressing on player badges in the turn order list. This also allows you to quickly add players as friends.
  • Improvement: Added the game number to the start and end of the game log as well as the game record in the player game list. This will be extremely useful for reporting any issues with a particular game or bragging about your success on a particular game.
  • Improvement: Added auto-turn-pass functionality to speed up games. If all of player's units are stunned, the game will now automatically pass their turn to the next player. The log will record an entry stating "Player's turn will be passed to next player because all of their units are stunned.
  • Improvement: When a player discards a spell, a message is displayed in the overlay.
  • Improvement: When deselecting a spell on mobile phones, players are brought back to the spell selection instead of the home panel.
  • Improvement: Single player games will no longer warn you about setting the game to ranked or unranked since this does not affect single player gameplay.
  • Improvement: Changed the app installation setting from "preferExternal" to "auto". For some devices, this will default to internal storage and may noticeably improve game performance.
  • Improvement: Added additional optimizations to improve performance, such as destructing main application states during gameplay to conserve memory.

BUG FIXES

  • Fixed bug where game could freeze after defeating a unit that had sprinted before the sprint flag had cleared.
  • Fixed bug where an imprisoned unit could not be the target of spells like Shield and Dispel Magic cast from within the prison.
  • Fixed bug where required Valor amounts were not appearing correctly over action buttons.
  • Fixed bug in leaderboard where a player's name was not being highlighted in the list after a successful search.
  • Fixed bugs with model bitmap caching that were causing performance issues and potential memory leaks.
  • Fixed bug where games could freeze after having viewed the user list in game.
  • Fixed bug where team numbers on player badges displayed "1" instead of the correct team number.
  • Fixed bug where a space could be added at the end of a newly registered user and cause potential problems logging into multiplayer.
  • Fixed bug where the new player welcome prompt did not display properly.
  • Fixed bug causing the improper recording of hero stats in ranked games.
  • Fixed bug with counter of total games in single player stats.

BALANCE CHANGES

UNIT CHANGES

  • Fighter Mage
    • Changed Relentless from “Fighter Mage cannot be stunned.” to “Fighter Mage cannot be immobilized and may move and attack while stunned.”
    • The intent of this change is to add some vulnerability to stun effects to the Fighter Mage. The inability to cast spells prevents Relentless from being overpowered, while the additional immunity of immobilze and the ability to still attack while stunned adds to the flavor behind the character as one who resorts to his fighter instincts when cornered.

  • Paladin
    • Changed Combat Healing from "Target ally recovers 1 lost life." to "Target ally recovers 1 lost life. Paladin may not heal herself."
    • Changed Bless from "Remove stun and immobilize effects from target ally." to "Remove negative effects from target ally
    • The intent of these changes is to prevent Paladin vs. Paladin end games where the ability to self heal could drag out a dice slug fight for a needless number of turns. To compensate for the removal of self-heal, Paladin becomes ever more versatile as a cleric by gaining the ability to heal all negative ailments. Note: Paladin does not cure intentional physical penalties like Sprint fatigue and Dual Wield fatigue.

v1.7.2 Released 04/11/2012

  • Fixed bug where the game host's screen would go blank if a new user joined the game room while editing the game options.
  • Fixed bug where Hero Mages Gold app users could not play cross-platform multiplayer games with other users.

v1.7.1 Released 04/04/2012

  • Fixed bug introduced in last version that messed up proper scaling for smaller screens (smart phones, etc.).

v1.7.0 Released 04/04/2012

NEW FEATURES

  • Single Player Games Saves (Mobile Only): Offline singleplayer Quick Battles and Custom Battles are now saved for you automatically. If you exit the app for any reason and return later, you'll be presented with the option to continue playing your last game. Gameplay will resume exactly where it left off (including turn time and total game duration). Note: Progress in the tutorail mission is not saved as the missions are short and you are free to play the missions in any order.
  • Unified Game Interface: This version marks the first release of the unified Hero Mages code base. Both the web and mobile versions of the game now share the same interface, allowing players to seamlessly transition between playing on their computer, smart phone, and tablet devices.
  • Tutorial Missions: I am pleased to announce that the single player tutorial missions are now available for web users!
  • Support for iOS: This version adds supports for iOS devices including iPhone 3GS, iPhone4, iPad, iPad2, and any newer iOS models. Availabilty in the Apple AppStore is pending Apple's acceptance of our submission.
  • Hero Mages Silver: Hero Mages Demo for Android is now Hero Mages Silver. Players can now play the tutorial missions AND access the multiplayer feature on their Android powered devices via this free app. Access to offline gameplay modes (Quick Battle/Custom Battle) are exclusive to the $2.99 Hero Mages Gold app.

GAME IMPROVEMENTS

  • Major improvements to performance: Users will experience vastly improved performance (particularly on older devices). This is due to fixed memory leaks, optimized graphics rendering, improved code algorithms, and more!
  • Improvement: Increased the framerate from 30FPS (on web) and 35FPS (on mobile) to 40FPS. This translates to less time waiting for units to slog across the battlefield and more time to plan your cunning strategies (or less depending on how you look at it...)!
  • Improvement: The web version now uses the bitmap model rendering used to optimize performance in the mobile version. This same optimization also allows Hero Mages to run particularly well on older desktops and netbooks. Players used to playing fullscreen on larger monitors may experience some visual graphics loss, but fear not, I am working on a special release that returns the super-high definition vector graphics rendering for those with the computing power to run it.
  • Improved AI performance: Web users will see a considerable boost in AI turn calculation speed. Both web and mobile users will benefit from staggered processing. The AI will delay for most spell effects until they are finished animating before processing their next move.
  • Improvement: The main chat lobby has been redesigned to support multiple screen resolutions. Larger monitors and tablets will make use of the extra screen space while smart phones will collapse panels to ensure easy readability of text. The tabs have been replaced with symbolic icons, creating a simple, clean appearance.
  • Improvement: Updated artwork for the Sorceress, Summoner, and Soul Reaver. The sorceress has been completely reillustrated by Minotaur artist, Scott Sez.
  • Improvement: Embedded the AIR captive runtime with mobile versions. Users no longer need to worry about having Adobe AIR installed on their devices.
  • Improvement: Multiplayer now incorporates a "Remember Me" feature so you don't have to re-enter your account information each time you login.
  • Improvement: Game settings are now tied to the device you play on vs. being stored on your account. This allows players to make custom settings for their computer and mobile devices.
  • Improvement: Improved the way on screen interface elements are sized to match various screen resolutions, includng the dice roller/event indicator and game log.
  • Improvement: All text-based buttons within the game interface have been replaced with symbolic icons (for instance, a checkmark for confirming actions, a trashcan for discarding spells, etc.).
  • Improvement: Improved the visual appearance of team markers by making them gradiented squares that rest underneath the units vs. the subtle/hard to see reticle indicator.
  • Improvement: Major performance improvements to scrolling lists, combo boxes, and the hero selection list in party builder
  • Improvement: Added gesture icons to illustrate how to use the pinch-zoom and panning features of the map in the first tutorial mission.
  • Improvement: Added a game loading screen to transition into games and release unneeded assets from memory to increase performance.
  • Improvement: Added an on/off toggle for sound effects to the settings menu.
  • Improvement: Improved spectator interface by showing the Hero Mages logo in place of where the player resources would be.
  • Improvement: Removed the Phone permission for Android.
  • Guest Login: The ability to login as an annoymous guest has been removed as new players now have the option to play the tutorial missions. This should encourage more players to create an account and join our fabulous multiplayer community.

BUG FIXES

  • Fixed bug where "Processing Request" screen would prevent player from interacting once they joined the multiplayer lobby.
  • Fixed bug with chatting in multiplayer lobby on touch screens. In the old version, content would remain shifted for the virtual keyboard until you manually closed the virtual keyboard. Now, whenever you send a message, the content will shift back to the regular position. Focus remains on the chat input field if using a physical keyboard so you can send messages faster.
  • Fixed bug causing unit abilities to not activate properly (including end turn button) after character dialog events in tutorials.
  • Fixed several bugs with game options not syncing properly between players in multiplayer game lobby.
  • Fixed bugs and made major improvements with the turn-time clock synchronization and game rejoin feature.
  • Fixed bug where casting Mind Control with Confirm Actions disabled caused game to freeze.
  • Fixed bug where player started with 6 mana in Mission 5 instead of the proper 3.
  • Fixed bug where players panel was reporting incorrect resources at start of game
  • Fixed bug that prevented players from deselecting units on interface layouts with the left side bar since the show summary button was hidden.
  • Fixed bug where switching between summon spell cards and other spells when you already had a creature out would hide the confirmation button required to summon the new creature.
  • Fixed numerous other minor bugs.

Known Issues

  • User Interface: Several interface features specific to the web based version (including mouse over animations and tooltips) have been temporarily removed with this update that unifies the web and mobile interfaces. There are also several interface screens that have not yet been coded for multiscreen. This development decision was necessary to ensure timely release of the mobile releases including iOS. Rest assured, these features will be added back in over the next few weeks via minor version releases.
  • Kindle Fire: There is a known issue on Kindle Fire where closing the keyboard manually will cause the content to become stuck. We are working with Adobe to resolve this problem. As a workaround, always use the Enter button to send messages so the content will get shifted back.

v1.6.4 Released 12/06/2011

BUG FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

  • Fixed bug in mobile version where cutscene at end of Tutorial 2 would lockup due to failed dice rolls
  • Fixed bug in mobile version where characters would appear as defeated when revived
  • Improved performance of dice roll animation in mobile version

v1.6.3 Released 12/02/2011

BUG FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

  • Fixed bug in Android version where the game content would get stuck in shifted position after closing the soft/virtual keyboard.
  • Fixed bug in Android version with computer artificial intelligence that would cause it to try and cast multi-target spells from a location where there were not any targets and freeze the game. This fix also improves the AI's gameplay ability.
  • Fixed bug in Android version where the same dice results were being used for each target of a multi-target spell. Dice rolls for each target are now unique.
  • Improvement: Added menu and version info buttons to the main launch screen in Android version. Removed log button from main menu.

v1.6.2 Released 11/24/2011

BUG FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

  • Fixed bug with the players' pane in tutorial 2 in Android version.
  • Fixed typos in tutorial 4 and tutorial 5 in Android version.
  • Improvement: Game now installs on Android to SD by default and can be moved to phone if desired.
  • Improvement: Air Elemental and Fire Elemental now animate during Idle in Android version.
  • Imrpovement: Improved unit model appearance where shadows were being cut off in Android version.

v1.6.1 Released 11/11/2011

BUG FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

  • Fixed bugs and typos in various tutorials in the Android version.

v1.6.0 Released 11/11/2011

NEW FEATURES

  • Android Support: This version officially introduces the first official Android release of the game. Includes cross-platform multiplayer support so those playing via web can play against their friends using the Hero Mages app for Android.
  • Single-Player Tutorial Campaign (Android only): An exciting story driven campaign that introduces the characters of Papillion and teaches you how to play Hero Mages.
  • Single-Player Quick Battle (Android only): Allows players to jump right into a randomly generated battle versus the computer
  • Single-Player Custom Battle (Android only): Play cutomized single player games against the computer and view your single-player gaming statistics
  • Multi-touch Support (Android only): Interact with your characters in an all-new an exciting way using custom gestures that allow you to zoom and pan the map. Get up close on the details or zoom out to view the entire battle.
  • Multi-Screen Support (Android only): Enjoy a screen full of gameplay thanks to the new multi-screen feature that adapts the interface of Hero Mages to the custom dimensions of your device. Whether you're playing on a phone, tablet, or dual-screen device, Hero Mages will automatically provide the best user experience.
  • Remember Me (Android only): Tired of having to type in your user login information? Now the game remembers who you are so you can jump online even faster!

v1.5.1 Released 05/20/2011

NEW FEATURES

  • Mage Duel: Added an experimental new game objective called Mage Duel where players field only one unit, their Mage. This new game type is intended for big team play (4v4) and should result in quick, fun, and engaging team tactics. Like the Assassination objective, Mage Duel is un-ranked only. Have fun!

v1.5.0 Released 10/11/2010

NEW FEATURES

  • Artificial Intelligence: Players can add computer controlled opponents to any game via drop down menus on the game setup screen, allowing them to play single player, cooperatively against the bots, or even pit the bot against themselves to watch and learn new game play strategies. Click here to learn more about the AI and offer feedback.

  • New Music Tracks: Hero Mages song writer Mark Przybylski has put together 4 new tracks encompassing a new artistic style he dubs "modern medieval". The new tracks are titled:
    • Hell Train
    • Prisoner
    • Rampage
    • Touch of Death

BUG FIXES AND IMPROVEMENTS

  • Fixed bug where multiple user joining a game at the time could result in various errors including :
    • Player not being able to select their color, team or hero option.
    • Player being assigned a player box but not see their name in the box.
    • Multiple players getting assigned the same box
  • Fixed bug where two players could get assigned the same start zone if Team Distribution and Chosen Teams were both enabled and one team outnumbered another by two or more players.
  • Fixed typo in Samurai's Eviscerate ability that read "Target adjacent unit loses 1 life." when it should in fact read "Target surrounding unit loses 1 life."
  • Fixed typo in Summoner's Sacrifice ability that read "Destroy one of your units to recover 3 lost life." when it should read "Destroy a visible ally creature to recover 3 lost life."
  • Improvement: The artwork for Passive abilities has been modified to have faded edges to better distinguish them from unit action buttons.
  • Improvement: The default turn time is now 1:00 instead of 1:30. A new 0:45 turn time has been added to the drop down and the 3:00 turn time was removed.
  • Improvement: A pause button has been added for single-player mode.
  • Improvement: Added the ability for an individual player to select a random start zone if the game's settings call for chosen start zones. With this change, players are always able to check the Ready box without having to pick any options since randomized options are always the default.

v1.4.3 Released 07/30/2010

BUG FIXES

  • Fixed bug where Psionist could use Mind Control to command an enemy to move to a space it or another enemy unit already occupied.
  • Fixed bug where a Barricade cast next to an Imprison could "open up" one of the prison walls when the Barricade was removed.
  • Improvement: Changed spells Hex, Sunder Armor, and Sleep so they can only target enemy units since there is never a reason you would want to use these effects on an ally.

v1.4.2 Released 07/14/2010

BUG FIXES

  • Fixed bug where spell cards might dissappear if user pressed a hotkey while the line of sight tool was active.
  • Fixed bug where cards would appear in instruction bar if you had the line of sight tool active when drawing cards at the end of your turn.
  • Fixed bug where defeated hero units were not having their actions reset at the start of their player's turn. This was causing issues with the Revive spell where units returning to play might not have their move, attack or special abilities accessible when they should have been.
  • Fixed bug where it was possible to discard a spell while casting it, resulting in an internal error that could cause sync issues.
  • Fixed bug where a Hero's "Battles Won" was not being recorded properly with the other game stats. Unfortunately, we cannot restore data that was lost as the result of this bug.
  • Fixed bug with leaderboard where it was trying to search for a specific player when changing to a board that player was not listed on.
  • Fixed bug where spells could appear oversized in the spell bar if a player discarded them using the "D" key while mousing over them.
  • Fixed bug where game win/loss/statistics were not being recorded if the game ended as a result of player surrendering via Exiting the game in the menu and selecting “OK” to this “Leaving this game will count as a surrender. Are you sure you want to exit?” prompt.

v1.4.1 Released 07/10/2010

BUG FIXES

  • Fixed bug where game would freeze at the end of turn after a player's sprint had reset.
  • Fixed bug where players might not see game animations or sound effects after using the rejoin feature and playing a new game.
  • Fixed bug causing "ghost rooms" to persist in the lobby.
  • Fixed bug where the "Mage" and "Guardian" Hero leaderboard wouldn't load.
  • Fixed bug where using hotkey "T" for teamchat populated an intial "t" in the chatinput box.
  • Fixed bug where the Enter button and other hotkeys were non functional after a game started until you clicked on the screen.
  • Fixed bug where natural dice rolls of 20 did not glow if target's Defense was above 20.
  • Fixed bug where the next player on que after a player surrendered or dropped might have their turn skipped.
  • Fixed bug with the Unlimited turn timer setting where the game would skip the turns of every player except the game creator.
  • Improvement: Added a "start turn" command so that only the player whose turn it is can start the turn timer. This ensures that, regardless of animation or internet lag, each player will receive their fully allotted turn time.

v1.4.0 Released 07/01/2010

NEW FEATURES

  • Game Reconnection: Games are no longer ruined if a player loses their connection. Disconnected players can rejoin any game they were previously playing! For full details on this new feature, visit www.heromages.com/howToPlay/rejoinGames.html.

  • 8 Player Support: Hero Mages has increased its player cap from four to eight players, allowing for massive free for all and team oriented battles.

  • Enhanced Team Play: Players can select the new “Team Distributed” start zones option to group teammates together on the map. In addition, the team allegiance of each unit is now easily distinguished by a colored marker.

  • Active Player Leaderboards: Leaderboards now filter out inactive players to make the competition for the top positions even more intense. For full details on the revised rating system, visit www.heromages.com/howToPlay/ratingSystem.html.

  • Live Spectators: Spectators no longer have to join a game they wish to observe prior to the game start. Now you can join any game in progress to watch and learn new strategies!

  • Game Host User Controls: Game hosts now have access to advanced user controls, including the ability to switch players to spectators, switch spectators to players, boot or ban users, and transfer hosting control to another user.

  • 5 New Maps!
    1. Solace (2): These intricate ruins adjoining imperial farmland offer a place of comfort and contemplation for young Sorceresses.
    2. Spindle (2): In the confines of this dungeon’s central chamber, the dark and foreboding atmosphere can be maddening.
    3. Dungeon Blockade (6): In this highly tactical map designed for 3v3, mages take refuge in the back while guardians hold the lines. Position your units carefully!
    4. Circle of Slaughter (8): Less strategy and more splategry! For fast & fun action packed games, play with 4-8 players, FFA, Random Heroes, 15 sec turns & no dice.
    5. Valley of War (8): Upon opposing slopes of this open field, armies gather for a massive battle. This map is ideal for 4v4 or 2v2v2v2.

GAME IMPROVEMENTS

  • Game commands are now sent using the Raw String Protocol, reducing the size of transferred data to less than 1/10 the original size and vastly increasing bandwidth and network performance.

  • Leaderboard and Rating System has improved as follows:
    • In order to maintain position on the leaderboard, players must play at least one ranked game for that leaderboard’s game type every two weeks. Players who have not played a rank game in two weeks from the current date and time are removed from the leaderboard. Note: Ratings are never lost are reset, so if a player returns after two weeks, they can regain their position by playing a ranked game.
    • The Overall Rating is now the average of your Duel, FFA, and Team Ratings, rather than a separately rated score. This change was primarily implemented to encourage players to participate in ranked FFA games, which were too risky for losing Overall points in the previous version. With this new system, it is now essential to have a high rating in all three categories, as a low score in any single category will bring your Overall score down.
    • A new “Member Directory” leaderboard allows you to look up any Hero Mages player and the board can be sorted by player ID, player name, games played, total play time, or last online.
    • Player Profiles now indicate the last time a player was online as well as the date of their last played ranked game for each category.
    • Players’ mini-profiles displayed in the chat and game lobbies now indicate your overall ranked wins and losses only instead of your total (ranked plus unranked) wins and losses.
    • First and last page buttons have been added to the leaderboard so you can quickly discover who is on the top and who is on the bottom of the leaderboard.
    • When clicking on heroes in the hero leaderboard, the profile for that hero opens up instead of the profile for the hero’s player
    • Hero Profiles now indicate the last time you played a game with that hero. Heroes will only appear on the Hero leaderboard if you played a ranked game with them in the last two weeks.
    • Hero Profiles for guardians no longer display the number of spells cast and the layout has been redesigned for a cleaner appearance.
    • Hero leaderboard has been updated to include the Minotaur
    • Game Records now track the number of rating points lost or gained (which will be a viewable option once the Battle Report feature is completed in a future Hero Mage’s release).

  • The game lobby screen has improved as follows:
    • The layout of player options boxes has been optimized to allow support for up to eight simultaneous players
    • The game host is now identified near the game options (formerly in the player options)
    • The game host can use the combo boxes in each player box to switch player roles or add computer players (coming soon in the next Hero Mages release)
    • The game host can click the users tab to access additional user controls
    • The map description is now visible underneath the map preview.

  • Live Game Status updates now indicate changes to a game’s status (such as whether or not the game has started), the number of players and bots, and the number of spectators in real time.

  • The game log has been enhanced with three new features:
    1. Log entries are now numbered for easier referencing.
    2. An option to disable the automatic scroll to bottom when a new entry is made. This feature is very useful if you’re trying to read earlier entries while new ones are being written.
    3. The ability to view the HTML source code. Players can copy this code to a text file and save it as an HTML file to view the game log with the original color formatting.

  • The default game options have changed as follows:
    • The available turn lengths are now Unlimited, 3:00, 2:00, 1:30, 1:00, 0:30, 0:15
    • The default turn length is 1:30 (previously 2:00)
    • The default Dice & Events is now “Don’t Show” (previously “Show Both”)
    • The default Starting Zones is now “Team Distributed” (previously “Random”)

  • Hot Keys now allow players to switch commands in the middle of a targeting action. Previously, if you in the middle of a movement action and wanted to attack instead, you would have to first cancel the movement action and then hit the hotkey to attack. Now, you can seamlessly switch between commands without having to manually cancel the previous command. In order to support this functionality, the following hotkeys were remapped:
    • Dragon’s Fury now uses “R” instead of “D”
    • Meditate now used “I” instead of “D”
    • Charge now used “R” instead of “C”
    • Mind Control now uses “I” instead of “C”

  • Map Editor now supports adding starting zones for up to 8 players. In addition, players can program start zone team distributed to be “Together” or “Scattered”. For more information on using the map editor, refer to the documentation here.

BUG FIXES

  • Fixed bug causing a memory leak that could eventually lead to game crashes.
  • Fixed bug where inactive spells were not being darkened until after the first player action.
  • Fixed bug with the Minotaur’s return from block animation.
  • Fixed bug where the join prompt for a passworded game would state ‘Join “undefined”?’.
  • Fixed bug causing a synchronization issue with player colors in the game options screen.
  • Fixed bug where the Sleep spell was recording an empty rolls array in the game log.
  • Fixed bug where cards would return to the spell bar and targeting actions would lock if player used an action without any valid targets and clicked on an unoccupied space.
  • Fixed bug that would cause the Fireball spell to attack the primary target twice.
  • Fixed bug that allowed players to discard spells during actions or at the end of the game.
  • Fixed bug that could cause characters to build up in the chat input box while using hotkeys.
  • Fixed bug where it was possible to gain 8/7 health if you cast the Bloom spell on your Mage while already enchanted with Bloom and controlling a Flesh Golem.
  • Fixed bug where it was possible to enchant a unit with multiple Bloodlust spells if they had attacked during their turn while already enchanted with Bloodlust.
  • Fixed bug where game would freeze if Minotaur charged a Fire Elemental and caused damage.
  • Fixed bug where Soul Reaver would not user her Counter Attack ability on a Minotaur Bull Charge attack that missed.
  • Fixed bug where the game host might sometimes see a player a flagged as ready even if that player’s ready button was unchecked.
  • Fixed bug where stage focus was not returning to the chat field after closing a prompt window.

v1.3.0 Released 04/08/2010

NEW FEATURES

  • Party Builder, added to the game lobby, allows you to discover the different heroes of Papillion and create your own custom team in a fun and interactive way.  Additionally, it will remember your hero choices during the same login session, allowing you to make quick adjustments to your selection as needed between games.

  • Minotaur, a new Guardian hero, has been added to the hero roster.  Access to this exclusive character is reserved for members who participate in promotional events to help build the Hero Mages community.  Stay tuned for updates from D20Studios on how to earn this fearsome ally.

  • Hot Keys have been added for all actions within the game.  To quickly select any unit you control, press the F1-F12 keys.  To select a spell, press the spell number corresponding to the spell’s position in your hand (located in the lower right hand corner of the spell icon).  Other common hot keys include “M” to move, “A” to attack, “C” to cast or confirm, and “Esc” to cancel an action.  To learn more hotkeys, mouse over any button in the game.  The hot key is indicated in the tooltip by parenthesis and gold or bright orange text.

  • Visual Indicators added to various game effects make it even easier to assess the battlefield:
    • The numbers in the animated dice roller now glow to indicate a successful hit.
    • Stunned units are now tinted blue and recorded as stunned in the game log.
    • Immobilized units are now tinted purple and recorded as immobilized in the log.
    • When magical effects fail, a popup message will now over the unit and within the game log explaining why (ex. Immune, Resists, Miss).
    • A status effect is now added to units that sprint to remind players that this unit may not sprint on their next turn.
    • Spells you cannot cast yet are now grayed out.

  • Improved Targeting Interface was implemented to reduce the number of clicks required to perform actions:
    • New options in the Settings menu allow players to customize how orders are issued to units.  For instance, you can disable confirmation for targeting actions, disable confirmation card payment options, and hide action warnings for when you try to sprint or summon more than your max number of creatures.  We recommend experienced players try these as they greatly improve the speed of gameplay.
    • When “Require target confirmation” is unchecked in the settings, you will no longer be required to hit the “Confirm” button to designate targets for abilities with designated or secondary targets.  In fact, the “Confirm” button will be hidden when “Require target confirmation” is off so it’s obvious which mode you are in.  Spells with designated targets (like Meteor Shower or Group Heal) will still require you to confirm your targets before the spell is cast.  This is to ensure you get a chance to see which targets the spell will effect.
    • Targeting Confirmation is now defaulted to “Off” for new users

GAME IMPROVEMENTS

  • A unit’s Defense can now be reduced below 11, and its Defense can now exceed 20, but natural rolls of 20 are always considered hits.  Additionally, dice rolls affected by Inspire will now show the actual dice result + bonus result instead of capping at 20.
  • Increased unit movement animation speed by 67%
  • Adjusted room join/leave sounds so that you can now hear sounds for joining/leaving game room.
  • Game Menu can now be accessed in the lobby by clicking the Menu link in the lower left hand corner or pressing the "Home" key, allowing users to change settings.
  • Added 15 second turn time

BUG FIXES

  • Fixed bug where the users tab would appear stretched over the game grid the first time you clicked on it.
  • Fixed bug with registration where you could get a “Welcome undefined” message if you registered using an existing username with different capitalization.
  • Fixed bug where users in lobby could hear enter/exit sounds for users registering for game.
  • Fixed bug where the barbarian could sprint after attacking if he defeated a unit with his attack before moving.

BALANCE CHANGES

SPELL CHANGES

  • Augmentation Spell Changes
    • Instead of taking cards out of the deck until their spell effects wear off, Augmentation cards are now returned to the deck immediately.  This increases the occurrence of Augmentation spells without actually adding more cards to the deck.
    • You can no longer cast superior and non superior versions of Augmentation spells on the same unit.  Casting a new instance of an existing spell will override the old effect.
    • Changed Battle Horn from “All visible allies get Strength +2 until the end of your turn.” to “All visible allies get Strength +2 until the start of your next turn.”
    • Replaced Cripple (1): “Target unit gets Defense -4 until the end of your turn. A unit’s Defense cannot be reduced below 11.” with Sunder Armor (1): Target unit with Defense of 15 or greater gets Defense -4 until the end of your turn.
    • Replaced Dragon’s Fury (2): “Target ally gets Strength +3, Defense +3 until the start of your next turn. A unit's Defense cannot exceed 20.” with Hex (1): Target unit gets Defense -1 until defeated.

  • Destruction Spell Changes
    • Seeker Missile - Decreased dice rolled from 5 to 4
    • Fireball - Decreased dice rolled from 5 to 4
    • Meteor Shower - Decreased dice rolled from 4 to 3
    • Disintegrate changed from Roll 6 attack dice with +2 Damage Bonus against an adjacent unit.” to “Roll 4 attack dice against an adjacent unit.  If unit is damaged, they lose an additional 2 life.”
    • Demonic Lash - Changed from “Roll 3 attack dice with +2 Damage Bonus against target unit on same row, column, or diagonal.” to “Roll 3 attack dice against target unit.  If any dice hit, unit loess exactly 2 life.”

  • Manipulation Spell Changes
    • Imprison - Increased cost from 1 to 2 mana
    • Entangle - Increased cost from 1 to 2 mana
    • Gateway – Increased cost from 1 to 2 mana, changed from “Open gateway anywhere on the board until the start of your next turn. Units can see and move through (not on) it.” to “Remove any wall until the end of your turn or dispel a magic wall. Units may not end moves on space wall returns.”

  • Recovery Spell Changes
    • Revive – changed from “Place your last defeated hero on target space with 1 life remaining. The hero cannot move until your next turn.” to “Place your last defeated hero on target space with 1 life remaining.  Hero may use actions immediately.”
    • Mana Surge- Decreased mana generated from 2 to 1.
    • Replaced Full Heal (2): “Target ally recovers all lost life.” with Heal (2): “Target unit recovers 5 life.”
    • Group Heal- Removed 1 copy from the deck
    • Dispel Magic in deck – Added additional copy to the spell deck

  • Summons Spell Changes
    • Summoning Rule changed fromCreatures may be placed on any space visible to your Mage. They can attack on the turn they come into play, but cannot move until the following turn.” to “Creatures are placed on any space surrounding your Mage and may move and attack immediately.”
    • Air Elemental - Decreased Defense from 14 to 13
    • Earth Elemental – Decreased Strength from 3 to 2, changed Crushing Blow from Earth Elemental’s attack gets a +1 Damage Bonus. to “Units damaged by Earth Elemental's attack lose 1 additional life.”
    • Flesh Golem- Decreased Defense from 14 to 12, increased Strength from 2 to 3
    • Iron Golem – Decreased Defense from 18 to 17

UNIT CHANGES

  • Fighter Mage 4S 14D 6L
    • Changed Dragon’s Fury from “Target ally gets Strength +3, Defense +3 until the start of your next turn.  A unit's Defense cannot exceed 20.” to “Fighter Mage gets Strength +3, Defense +3 until the start of your next turn.”
    • Decreased Defense from 15 to 14

  • Sorceress 2S 13D 6L
    • Replaced Meteor Shower (2 | 15 Valor): “Roll 4 attack dice against each visible enemy.” To Fire Ball (2 | 10 Valor): Roll 4 attack dice against target unit and each unit surrounding it.
    • Changed Natures Wraith (Passive | 10 Valor): “Player’s Destruction spell attacks get a +1 Damage Bonus.” to Natures Wraith (Passive | 15 Valor): Units damaged by Sorceress's Destruction spells lose 1 additional life.

  • Summoner  2S 12D 6L
    • Changed Skeleton Warrior from “Summon a Skeleton Warrior on target space. If another is summoned, the existing one is destroyed.” to “Place a skeleton warrior on target space.  (Cannot be used if you control 5 or more skeletons)”
    • Changed Sacrifice from “Destroy one of your visible creatures.  Summoner recovers 3 lost life and her Guardians recover 1.” to “Destroy one of your visible creatures to recover 3 lost life.”
    • Increased valor requirement on Summoning mastery from 10 to 15
    • Decreased Defense from 13 to 12

  • Wizard 2S 12D 6L
    • No change

  • Barbarian S5 D12 L7
    • Decreased Defense from 14 to 12
    • Increased Life from 6 to 7

  • Bard 3S 14D 6L
    • Replaced Precision Strike (Passive) with Song of Valor (1): All visible allies get Strength +1 until the start of your next turn.

  • Paladin S3 D16 L5
    • Decreased Defense from 17 to 16

  • Psionist 2S 13D 6L
    • Changed Psychic Blast from “Roll 3 attack dice against target unit. Results of 14 or more cause 1 damage.” to “Roll 3 dice against target unit. Results of 13 or more cause 1 damage.”
    • Changed Mind Control from “Move target enemy up to 5 spaces.” to “Roll a 5 or higher to move target enemy up to 5 spaces.”

  • Rogue S3 D13 L6
    • No change

  • Samurai 2S 15D 5L
    • Changed Critical Strike fromSamurai’s attack gets a +2 Damage Bonus.to “If at least one of Samurai’s attack dice hits, his opponent loses exactly 3 life.”
    • Changed Eviscerate from Target surrounding unit with 1 life remaining is defeated.” to “Target adjacent unit loses 1 life.”
    • Decreased Defense from 16 to 15
    • Decreased Strength from 3 to 2

  • Soul Reaver 4S 16D 5L
    • Replaced Duel (1): “Soul Reaver and target adjacent unit are immobilized.” with Taunt (1): “Force target adjacent enemy to attack Soul Reaver.  This enemy may not attack on their next turn.”
    • Decreased Life from 6 to 5

  • Warrior S2 D17 L6
    • Changed Dual Wield (Passive): “Warrior may attack twice per turn.” to  “Warrior may attack twice per turn, but gets Defense -2 until the start of your next turn if he does.”
    • Increased Life from 5 to 6

  • Minotaur S4 D13 L6
    • Bull Charge (Passive): If Minotaur is facing an enemy at the end of his sprint, roll attack dice equal to 2 plus the distance he sprinted against them.
    • Roar (2): Roll a dice for each surrounding enemy.  On a result of 8 or more, enemy may not attack until the start of your next turn

KNOWN ISSUES

  • While we have substantially improved the game's memory usage, there are still unknown behaviors that can cause a memory leak. If you are experiencing crashes playing multiple games during a session, refresh your browser between games; this will guarantee the system memory is released. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working very hard to erradicate the last remaining memory issues.

v1.2.2 Released 03/17/2010

  • Fixed Bug introduced by PayPal update where clicking a Buy button in the marketplace would take users to a PayPal page stating "You have requested an outdated version of PayPal. This error often results from the use of bookmarks."

v1.2.1 Released 09/09/2009

  • Fixed Bug with team staggering from v1.2.0

v1.2.0 Released 09/09/2009

  • Fixed Bug where spaces around a unit would light up if the line of sight tool tool was enabled while an opponent was moving that unit
  • Fixed Bug where your cards would disappear if you had an enemy unit selected and line of sight tool tool activated when your turn started or you had one of your units selected and line of sight tool tool activated when your turn ended
  • Fixed Bug where an ActionScript error would sometimes occur while the game was loading
  • Fixed Bug where the mini map would fail to load during the creation of a new game
  • Fixed Bug where drop down menus could remain open covering parts of the battlefield if the player tried to open them after selecting ready. Selecting "Ready" now disables combo boxes.
  • Fixed Bugs related to the removal of the Imprison spell including:
    • An invisible wall is created if you teleport out of the imprisoned space
    • A game lockup is created if you imprison a summoned unit and then summon another unit (causing the removal of the imprisoned summoned unit)
    • A game lockup is created if you imprison a player who then disconnects while imprisoned
    • A game lockup is created if you surrender while imprisoned
  • Fixed Bug where the Surrender button remained active after being eliminated
  • Fixed Bug: Soul Reaver’s Duel ability now properly states “target adjacent unit” vs. “target surrounding unit”.
  • Fixed Bug: Demonic Lash now properly states Damage +2 vs. Damage +1.
  • New Feature: Within the game creation lobby and game itself, a new tab called "Users" has been added. This tab allows you to see all users within the game (players and spectators) as well as view their statistics.
  • New Feature: A new game objective called "Assassination" has been added to the game options screen. In Assassination, players are eliminated immediately if their Mage is defeated. Currently, this new objective may only be played as unranked.
  • Improvement: The game options screen has been reorganized to accomodate different game objectives. The showing of dice and events is now controlled by a single combo box, and FFA or team play is now directed by the "Teams" combo box.
  • Improvement: Added a sound effect that alert users when they have received a private message.
  • Improvement: Unranked games will no longer affect your Heroes' stats
  • Improvement: You can group the starting locations of randomly assigned teams in the Map Editor by placing Start Zone 1 and Start Zone 3 together and Start Zone 2 and Start Zone 4 together. Note: This has technically been available since 1.0, but we wanted to officially verify and announce this functionality.
  • Improvement: The turn order for team games is now staggered at the start of the game to prevent a team from having two turns in a row (for example: T1, T2, T1, T2)
  • Improvement: The max spectator count has been increased from 4 to 8
  • Improvement: You can now see the number of spectators within a game from the main lobby by looking at the game's list item
  • Improvement: Players' ready boxes in the game options screen will no longer be unchecked when spectators join the game
  • Improvement: You can now drag and resize the game log
  • Improvement: Substantial changes were made to how the game uses memory resources, significantly helping the performance and stability of the game

v1.1.1 Released 08/18/2009

  • Balance Change: The Warrior's protect ability has been changed from "Target surrounding ally gets +4 Defense and Warrior gets –2 Defense until the start of your next turn." to "Target surrounding ally gets +4 Defense and Warrior gets –4 Defense until the start of your next turn." Also- the Warrior can no longer use Protect on himself (seeing as there is no longer a benefit to do so).
  • Balance Change: Demonic Lash has been changed from "Roll 3 attack dice with +1 Damage Bonus against target unit." to "Roll 3 attack dice with +1 Damage Bonus against target unit on same row, column, or diagonal."
  • Marketplace Change: We've changed the Map Editor Saves item from 5 Save Slots for $5.00 to 10 Save Slots for $10.00. Paypal was charging us a large fee for the smaller transaction- this way we optimize our returns while still offering you the same value.

v1.1.0 Released 08/07/2009

  • Balance Change: The cost of Dragon's Fury for both the Fighter Mage's ability and the spell has increased from 1 to 2.
  • Balance Change: The Summoner's sacrifice ability has been changed from "Destroy one of your visible creatures to recover 3 lost life." to "Destroy one of your visible creatures. Summoner recovers 3 lost life and her Guardians recover 1."
  • Balance Change: The Warrior's protect ability has been changed from "Target adjacent unit gets +4 Defense and Warrior gets –2 Defense until the start of your next turn." to "Target surrounding ally gets +4 Defense and Warrior gets –2 Defense until the start of your next turn."
  • Balance Change: The Warrior's protect ability can now be used on himeself, giving him a net bonus of +2 Defense.
  • Balance Change: Changed Bard's Inspire ability from "Add 4 to target ally’s attack dice until the end your turn. This bonus does not apply to spells or abilities." to "Add 4 to target ally’s attack dice until the start of your next turn. Inspire does not apply to spells or abilities." This makes the Bard very effective for team games.
  • Fixed Bug where the Paladin's Bless ability could be used on enemy units
  • New Feature: Ice world tileset has been added to the map editor. Enjoy, cartographers!
  • New Feature: The marketplace is now open for business! You can now purchase premium hero packs and map editor saves for your account.
  • New Feature: In the My Account tab, you can now see which Hero Packs you own.
  • New Maps: (4) Crystal Palace and (4) Shundris
  • Improvement: Increased compression on meadow tileset to decrease load times.
  • Improvement: The default Hero choice option for games is now "Chosen Secret" instead of "Chosen"
  • Improvement: The default turn time for games is now 2 minutes instead of Unlimited. Even for new players, we feel the faster game pace is more fun and stimulating than trying to understand every card/ability your first game. Just dive in- don't overthink it!

v1.0.1 Released 07/28/2009

  • Fixed Bug where turn timer would display incorrectly for the first player's turn
  • Fixed Bug where joining a private or full game would lock up there interface with "Processing Request..."
  • Fixed Bug where unranked games would count towards your player rating
  • Fixed Bug requiring you to set random team games to unranked even when 2 or more members were present
  • Fixed Bug where line of sight tool would not work in spectator mode
  • Fixed Bug where effects that ended at the start/end of a players turn (such as Imprison) would not be removed if the player who created them was eliminated or disconnected
  • Fixed Bug where Lobby tab would not properly highlight
  • Fixed Bug where clicking the version log would take you out of the game instead of opening a separate window
  • New Feature: You can now surrender to your opponent using the new option in the game menu
  • New Feature: Hero leaderboard now allows you to filter by hero type
  • Improvement: The Exit Game button in menu has been tinted red and the "Exit Menu" button has been changed to read "Close Menu"
  • Improvement: Bard's Inspire ability description changed from "Add 4 to each of target ally’s attack dice until the end of your turn." to read "Add 4 to target ally’s attack dice until the end of your turn. This bonus does not apply to spells or abilities.”

v1.0 Released 07/22/2009

Hero Mages's first public version!