History


v2.5 (16.8.2023)
* Fixed resuming of the sounds of tiles clusters (e.g. moving floors) after unpausing the game, which caused them to remain always active at maximum volume.
* Fixed Italian translation of the mission "Tribute to Asimov" (a label was off by one).
Note: due to technical issues, only the Windows executable has been updated.

v2.4 (25.6.2023)
* Removed contact email address from executable.
* Changed contact email address in manuals.
* Fixed a spelling mistake in developer's manual.
Note: due to technical issues, only the Windows executable has been updated.

v2.3 (5.8.2022)
* Re-added joypad thumbsticks support, as at times Windows treats D-pads as thumbsticks.
* Added internal graphics screenshot function (assigned to [F1]; the visible graphics are now captured with [F2] and themes are cycled with [F3]).
* Reworked assignments of the kind *p++ = ... *p ... (as they are miscompiled by some versions of gcc).
* Worked on (registration for) records submission to the online standings:
  * fixed server side issues and added SITE.PORT configuration option for future use;
  * improved information/instructions for the registration procedure;
  * disabled registration procedure when SDL_net is not initialized.
* Optimized static strings definitions.
* Simplified data files access code.
* Moved configuration and missions directory to the program's.
* Replaced version string with an AmigaOS-style one.
* Updated/improved user's manual, developer's manual and soundtrack booklet.
* Made various other minor changes.
* Made installers preserve the submission status of records, so that those that had already been submitted will not be submitted again after a re-installation/update.
* Added to Windows installers code to clean up leftovers.
* Added portable version for Windows.
* Dropped support for Linux and MacOS (maintaining those version can no longer be afforded; moreover, MacOS dropped 32-bit applications support a long time ago; anyway, the Windows version of BOH, since the very beginning, has always been working perfectly under Wine, and now it is even easier to run BOH thanks to the portable version).

v2.2 (21.11.2019)
* Simplified and optimized the CRT pixel modes.
* Made 4x LCD pixel mode slightly brighter.
* Added 6x pixel modes.
* Added hardware-accelerated zooming for solid pixel modes to the AmigaOS version.
* Added Italian brief to mission "Faces".
* Made a few minor fixes.
* Updated manual.

v2.1 (18.5.2019)
* Fixed a few corrupt tiles in themes "C64" and "Sci-fi".

v2.0 (10.3.2018)
* Labelled "ADVANCE".
* Added 23 new missions:
  * most of them are very easy to average;
  * many of them are based on unusual and different design/logic;
  * some of them make use of the new features introduced by this update;
  * some of them are multi-phase and multi-mission.
* Fixed/improved pre-existing missions (also making use of the new features).
* Increased the chances of finding a recharge in explosive objects from 25% to 33%.
* Added levels labels.
* Added disabling of message points.
* Avoided teleporting of the EM to the same square of the RM or a square too close to it, even when the RM is on a square which does not have walkable squares around (this avoids multiple consecutive collisions that quickly drain the shield).
* Avoided that damage is done to the shield while an enemy is hit (this, in practice, fixes for good the repeated EM-RM collisions issue that, in rare cases, might have caused an almost instant death).
* Made auto-orientation of connected staircases choose the best orientation context-wise and RM-wise.
* Added a rendered-on-the-fly background to mission information and pause screens.
* Excluded video modes with dimensions bigger than the desktop's.
* Replaced stars with thumbs-up icons for resolutions.
* Allowed handling of special events/keys while displaying a notice.
* Removed joypad thumbsticks support.
* Reworked controls reconfiguration:
  * added end notification;
  * changed joypad actions;
  * removed aborting by means of [ESCAPE];
  * removed overlapping of button and keys flags;
  * made other changes.
* Improved themes settings:
  * reworked configuration handling;
  * added [F2] for quick switching.
* Improved themes:
  * touched up wallpapers of the themes "Sci-Fi" and "Underground";
  * fixed/improved rotating lamp graphics in the themes "C64" and "Sci-Fi".
* Optimized/improved:
  * handling of levels lighting;
  * allocation and referencing of enemies objects;
  * EM spawning and AI;
  * universal function for the interpolated rotation of BGRA graphics;
  * tiles handling module;
  * controls handling;
  * screenshot grabbing;
  * SDL initialization;
  * some code bits here and there.
* Replaced Mix_Volume() with Mix_Pause() + Mix_Resume() to (un)pause sounds when the game gets (un)paused (this hopefully fixes the occasional sounds corruption on Windows).
* Fixed picking up of the aiming device (the check was broken, so it was possible to pick it up multiple times).
* Fixed printing of the levels number (the last digit of levels (-)100-109 was not printed).
* Fixed loop counters usage in m_CreateMap() to allow more than 65535 permanent animations.
* Fixed disappearing of information in the menu when an alphanumeric key was pressed (the handler returned an action insted of doing nothing).
* Fixed error message and the log file name reported by the records submission.
* Fixed work path on Windows (%TMP% was statically expanded at compile time).
* Adapted code to the latest version of the custom framework the game is built on.
* Improved icons:
  * added more icons;
  * touched up graphics;
  * added icon size choice to the AmigaOS and AROS installers;
  * fixed MacOs and Windows icons sizes.
* Fixed/improved/updated user's and developer's manuals.
* Reworked/updated artwork.
* Fixed/improved installers.
* Made other minor changes/improvements/optimizations.

v1.17 (21.11.2016)
* Added 17 new missions (5 very easy, 8 easy, 4 average).
* Improved 43 missions by means of new/revised hints, little changes to the layouts and other changes.
* Marked training missions with a dedicated icon.
* Added the remote control icon to the HUD.
* Added graphics interpolation to enemy sprites.
* Improved some graphics and shooting sound effects.
* Added specific sound effects to the theme "C64".
* Renamed some missions and most themes.
* Reworked manuals entirely.
* Reworked soundtrack artwork entirely.
* Allowed to run the game on Windows 10 as a normal user (due to changes in the Windows files handling policy, it had become necessary to run the game as administrator).
* Fixed resetting of the timer due to the focus loss auto-pause when the game was already paused.
* Made various other changes/optimizations.

v1.16 (4.4.2014)
* Reworked video modes handling (full screen by default; window on 16-bit screens allowed; more robust; etc.).
* Added CRT and LCD pixel modes.
* Added 5x zoom.
* Added 5 new missions, bringing the total to a massive 60.
* Assigned pause to the [ESCAPE] key (instead of a specific key), which thus no longer causes the immediate abort of the current mission.
* Reworked menu controls (more keys; do not depend anymore on the in-game controls configuration).
* Added emergency configuration reset (assigned to the key [F12]).
* Added screenshot functionality (assigned to the key [F1]).
* Made quitting by means of [ALT]+[F4] available on all platforms.
* Sets default URL for records submission to https://www.retream.com/BOH (it is no longer necessary to specify such URL manually in the configuration file).
* Replaced copy code with an email address for records submission.
* Updated manuals.
* Made many other optimizations/changes/fixes, for more performance, polish and robustness.

v1.15 (4.4.2012)
* Added 5 missions.
* Added Dutch translation.
* Optimized rendering engine even further.
* Replaced transition effect with a cooler one.
* Centered graphics vertically when playing in a screen bigger than the game area.
* Allowed providing just alphamask files for all the graphics of themes.
* Replaced icons with bigger and crisper ones.
* Allowed to configure the URL for the submissions of records to the online world standings (so that, in future, standings will remain accessible also if the URL changes).
* Updated manuals.
* Made various other minor optimizations/fixes.

v1.14 (9.12.2010)
* Reworked advanced automapper (the realistic mode has been replaced with the fullscreen view, which allows to see more; the controls have been made more comfortable).
* Improved video modes suggestions.
* Allowed terminating map lines with CR+LF.
* Improved error logging.
* Improved graphics of blocks in theme "C64".
* Added 5 new missions.
* Touched up slightly a few missions.
* Touched up slightly Spanish translation.
* Updated manuals.
* Made various other changes.

v1.13 (18.8.2010)
* Added world standings: the game can send automatically the local records to a global server that keeps the real-time standings of all the players in the world who make use of this new feature.
* Added a new tile kind: the message point, i.e. a location that reveals a message (a hint, a riddle, a part of story, etc.).
* Used messages points to make many missions more intriguing and to improve the tutorial missions (which have also been slightly modified for greater effectiveness).
* Added the theme "pyramid".
* Added 5 new missions.
* Added possibility of specifying a success epilogue and a failure epilogue for each phase.
* Reworked automappers: the more powerful one now covers the same area of the other one, but provides also an alternative rendering mode whereby the map reflects faithfully the actual colors of the tiles.
* Made movements of enemies clearer.
* Allowed RM to open locked passages and exits only when facing them.
* Removed sidestepping.
* Made [SPACE] the default automapper key.
* Made alignment of menu texts definable by the theme designer.
* Improved a few strings in some translations.
* Improved and updated manuals.
* Made various other changes.

v1.12 (18.6.2010)
* Fixed 2 bugs that could cause crashes.
* Added 2 new secret missions.
* Added Polish translation.
* Made various other changes.

v1.11 (8.6.2010)
* Added aiming device (a tool that shows the shooting trajectory).
* Allowed to restart from the last phase played when difficulty is set to "easy".
* Added 2 new missions.
* Refined light casting.
* Enriched and extended menu music of the theme "underground".
* Touched up menu music of the theme "default".
* Added Danish translation.
* Improved translations.
* Fixed "mood" of the ending.
* Updated and improved manuals.
* Made various other changes.

v1.10 (27.3.2010)
* Added acceleration to turning of the main character when standing (allows to turn by small degrees and, at the same time, to change totally direction more quickly).
* Made enemy fields harmful like traps.
* Added sound effects to enemy fields and conveyor belts.
* Improved sound volume balancement of clusters of squares (enemy fields, conveyor belts and traps).
* Intensifies hit sparks effect.
* Increased a bit weapons shoot rate (so killing enemies is a bit easier).
* Replaced the "USE ENHANCED/STANDARD WEAPONS" option with the "DIFFICULTY: normal/easy" option, which affects also the spawning rate of enemies.
* Removed the "ENABLE/DISABLE BARRIERS" option.
* Added the "NAME REQUEST: once / per session / always" option.
* Added walls graphics to the themes "C64", "default" and "warm".
* Extended the illumination range of rotating lamps.
* Added music and recoloring of graphics to the mission report screen.
* Added 10 new short pieces of music.
* Improved some graphical elements, sound samples and music pieces.
* Simplified menus and added the number of the non-secret missions.
* Modified automatic theme switching so that it will not occur after selecting another video mode or another different automatic theme switching option.
* Optimized graphical engine slightly.
* Added a new secret mission.
* Made some minimal changes to a few missions.
* Updated and improved manuals.
* Made various other changes.

v1.9 (26.1.2010)
* Added secret missions, i.e. missions that remain hidden until one or more other missions are completed.
* Reworked hidden passages so that they follow the orientation of barriers and are / can be perfectly unified with them.
* Re-added trembling to fixed lights.
* Improved video modes suggestions by indicating also the optimal zoom factors.
* Forced recalculation of global time also when 0:00.
* Touched up themes.
* Improved missions "getting started" and "unequal alternatives".
* Fixed mission "watch your step!" (it had been left in a test/altered state).
* Fixed pits near barriers (in some cases they may have looked weird).
* Added two new missions.
* Added latest expansions.
* Updated manuals.
* Made various other changes.

v1.8 (7.12.2009)
* Fixed handling of sparks colors (did not take into account the platform pixel format, so on some machines colors could look wrong).
* Fixed disappearance of enemies when hit (happened only in the MacOS version, due to a missing assignment).
* Fixed a few errors in the Spanish translation.
* Made some minor changes to the user's manual.

v1.7 (23.11.2009)
* Added one-way passages.
* Added flying enemies.
* Changed functioning of teleports: weapons are not inhibited anymore; enemies are not scared away anymore; the activation wait is shorter; enemies are destroyed if they touch the character during teleporting.
* Improved visual feedback of hits in theme "vectors".
* Increased intensity of shot lights.
* Fixed some minor glitches in the themes "C64", "default" and "vectors".
* Added mission "skill challenge".
* Touched up several missions (also making use of one-way passages).
* Added Norwegian translation.
* Re-assigned some map characters for an even more logical arrangement and, therefore, an easier development of missions.
* Added graying-out of the menu interface when another application gets the focus.
* Extended/improved manuals.
* Applied some other changes/optimizations.

v1.6 (12.10.2009)
* Ported game to AROS (requires an x86 CPU).
* Optimized and improved the field of vision calculation.
* Optimized and improved the lights casting.
* Made some explosive objects cause chain explosions.
* Fixed a few minor bugs.
* Added a new mission.
* Improved/extended manuals.
* Made some other changes.

v1.5 (2.9.2009)
* Replaced low obstacles with traps (f.ex. the pools of the theme "default" cause damage to the shield).
* Added dynamic sound to traps animations.
* Added acoustic feedback to shield discharges.
* Improved sound engine policies.
* Simplified and improved the automapper colors (dangerous places are indicated more clearly).
* Increased precision of and optimized sprites rendering.
* Removed pits borders along (transparent) barriers.
* Refines video modes suggestions.
* Removed sort-by-name option.
* Converted characters set of themes to full ISO 8859-1.
* Touched up themes graphics.
* Improved terminology.
* Reworked some internal aspects of missions and themes for easier development of expansions.
* Fixed handling of alphachannel-less sprites (this bug had no practical consequences because no theme used such kind of graphics).
* Added a new tutorial mission.
* Updated and improved user's manual.
* Made some other changes.

v1.4 (4.8.2009)
* Ported game to Linux (requires an x86 CPU, SDL 1.2 and SDL_mixer-1.2).
* Avoided restart of whole program upon theme change (very useful when playing in full screen, as the monitor does not need to re-sync).
* Added themes randomization options.
* Added "USE ENHANCED WEAPONS" option (makes killing enemies easier).
* Slown down blinking of the automapper direction indicator.
* Added video mode suggestions.
* Fixed a minor bug in the zoom selection handling (in rare cases it could cause an illegal memory access).
* Fixed bad centering at 4x zoom (a couple of parentheses were missing).
* Linked AmigaOS version to the latest SDL.
* Linked Windows version to a fresh build of the custom framework (by mistake an outdated framework had been used with the consequence that, on some machines, input handling was partially broken).
* Included some graphical retouches to the themes "castle" and "warm".
* Added synopses to the phases of the mission "tougher and tougher".
* Updated and improved the user's manual.
* Improved some translations.
* Made some other changes.

v1.3 (29.6.2009)
* Added direction indicator to the map.
* Allowed to create chains of teleports of any lenght.
* Allowed to specify the ambient illumination on a per-floor basis (several missions have been modified to take advantage of this).
* Allowed to add (optionally localized) synopses to missions.
* Added saving of the total playing time of each mission and of the whole game.
* Allowed to restart the last failed mission without returning to the menu.
* Added joypad thumbsticks support.
* Allowed to confirm/reject the name entered by means of joypad buttons.
* Added [ALT]+[F4] support (Windows only).
* Fixed countdown ticking (the sample was not played when the time limit was less than 1 minute).
* Improved/updated user's manual.
* Made some other changes.

v1.2 (7.5.2009)
* Fixed a problem with 3x and 4x zooming on SAM machines.
* Fixed a problem with missions handling.
* Added a suggestion to the user's manual.

v1.1 (4.5.2009)
* Ported game to MacOS X Tiger/Leopard.
* Added zooming to full screen modes.
* Allowed choice of the screen mode among those notified by the system.
* Replaced zooming routines with more optimized ones (especially 3x and 4x).
* Added possibility of disabling interpolation (for slow computers).
* Added possibility of disabling the rendering of barriers.
* Improved a bit the original themes.
* Enriched slightly the Evil Masters AI.
* Added timer ticking during time-limited missions.
* Added map zooming.
* Added option of sorting missions by difficulty.
* Allowed use of joypads/joysticks with just 1 button.
* Fixed following bugs: bad joypad handling (detection was inhibited by a '2' in place of a '1'; sometimes up/down movement could stick); [PAGE UP/DOWN] handling (repeat delay handling was missing); a bad optimization of ray-tracing routine (which had no practical effects thanks to the way maps and themes were made).
* Improved and extended user's manual.
* Linked AmigaOS 4 version to libSDL 1.2.13.
* Made some other minor changes.

v1.0, (4.4.2009)
* First release.

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