DEMO Version

**DEMO Version** is a freely distributed "episode" copy of Dawn of the New Hour. The DEMO Version is released by Sullivan Miranda on GameJolt, to give players a feel of the game before deciding whether to download the full version.

Currently, the demo is at "Playable" status, and is at Update Version 1.5. It can be downloaded here.

## "Episode"

Being an episode refers to this not being the full game, but also refers to it being *before* the full game's release. Game demos are stereotypically released alongside the full game's release; however, the DEMO Version has been released far behind the release of the Full Game.

## Limitations

The DEMO Version only allows specific areas and locations to be explored. In this case, only New Woodbury, Otnemarcas, the Islands, and the Unnamed World is accessable by the player directly, however the game can be hacked to get into areas not yet fully developed for a release.

The Developer's Room is also accessible in the DEMO Version, allowing the player to travel to a room that seems to be specifically for the developer to work on codes and features shown throughout the game. Some things are "experimental", and others are just tweaked repeatedly until they have achieved the proper output.

The Developer's Room is not included in the Full Game.

## Releases

### **DEMO Version 1.2a**

On August 7th, 2015, Version 1.2a was released. It changed many aspects to the demo, including minor access to Main Menu features, such as adding access to the Equipment Menu in the Wardrobe Room of the T.A.R.D.I.S.. Cosplay was also finally added, giving players the ability to change Sullivan's appearance in-game by equipping various outfits on him.

This also became the release that finally implemented the Artist Shader, a feature that the developer was very proud of. This changed the graphics of the game to include more realistic shadows as well as lighting/shadow overlays, at the slight cost of file size.

-insert picture here to show off Artist Shader-

### **DEMO Version 1.4**

On February 24th, 2016, Version 1.4 of the DEMO Version was released. With it came many new bug fixes, as well as font changes to Plumeria Sans. Many new features were added as well, and a new title screen was implimented.

This also became the release that gave players full access to the Main Menu, and also gave players the option to change volume of the game from the Start Menu. Version 1.4 also introduced a "Tutorial Level", with similar aspects to how the unnamed area of DEMO 1.2a's beginning level.

### **DEMO Version 1.5**

On June 28th of 2016, OfficialDoctorArtist (GameJolt) updated the game's news feed to show that he had planned to release a new update to the DEMO. However, this wasn't met, and it took a little under a month to keep to this statement. On July 14th, 2016, Version 1.5 of the DEMO Version was released (a countdown to the release can still be accessed here). With it will come many new features, several bug fixes, map edits, tweaking of the Artist Shader, and several new music tracks. New characters have been introduced as well, and dialogue has been adjusted and added on to.

The Journal feature has been deleted, but in its place a Quest Menu has been introduced.

Many new areas have also been unlocked in 1.5, although some of these new areas are still not finished. The Islands has a new area added to it, but Nathan will stop the player by stating that the map isn't finished. Jumping boundaries have been added so that the player cannot jump over him or past him. The Otnemarcas Hotel has a second floor added as well as a Viewing Room, but neither of these new areas has additional features, just treasures and wandering NPCs.

Weather mechanics are shown to be added in 1.5 as well. The world will now randomly change weather from clear to rainy or stormy, and back to clear again.

NPC Awareness has also made its debut. Awareness allows non-playable characters to show a wider perspective than before, making comments about what's changed around them, giving more personal information, or even addressing the player's current gold or items. It is assumed that [technically] NPC Awareness won't have a small limitation, but the developer stated that not all NPCs will show a wide amount of Awareness.

A DEMO Version 1.5b was soon released to fix a crash issue and some minor glitches in graphics and event layering.

### **DEMO Versions 1.6 and 1.7**

On July 20th, 2016, OfficialDoctorArtist announced that there were plans quickly being made for versions 1.6 and 1.7. Due to time constraints, many things were left unfinished, and certain bugs remained lingering within the coding. Areas had to be closed down from players entering due to unfinished areas or glitches in the Artist's Shader overlays.

According to Miranda's Google Plus posting, Version 1.6 will be the "most stable version to date", hopefully paying close attention to errors in the game and fixing them before another release. On July 26th, Miranda also posted saying that "there's no need to fear for release time or release date issues" and "I can finally work deeper on this, further than I've gone before", hinting at putting more effort into the next update. This could also hint at being able to work more towards the main full game as well.

On September 6th, 2016, an online countdown was created, announcing the date of DEMO Version 1.6 to be for September 14th of the same year. It also suggests that the update will have a name, rather than simply *DEMO Version*. In this case, "*Dawn of the New Hour DEMO - Stability Update*". Sadly, on September 16th, the countdown was well past the time for update when an official post saying that the DEMO's new update would be postponed until further notice.

Version 1.7 is going to pay close attention to player comments and tester comments, and the game's update will consist of ideas and concepts that others have suggested. This will also be a larger expansion on the game, meaning less locked doors and less barriers. There's nothing to suggest another update after 1.7, meaning 1.7 could be the very last update to the Dawn of the New Hour demo.

### **Christmas Update - "Aurum Demo"**

On November 25th, 2016, Miranda posted an update on his person Facebook wall about the status of the demo. He stated that the game was nearing an update called the "Aurum Demo". According to the statement, this particular version will "will show the finalized systems and gameplay equal to the full version."

On the 27th of November, Miranda added a new DevLog update on Gamejolt, discussing a new update in the works. Again, he mentioned an upcoming change to gameplay, as well as a new battle system.

Between December 7th and 13th, the Doctor Artist Facebook Page received updates from the New Woodbury Construction Crew. In order to come up with a lag fix, the crew had decided to work on the town once again. On the third build, New Woodbury was shown to be standing up tall once again with some new additions on the 14th of December. Alongside photo posts, the term "Christmas Update" came into play, the first time anyone had heard of such an update.

On December 15th, the Doctor Artist Facebook Page confirmed in a post that the Christmas Update and the Aurum Demo were to be the same thing and that the game title would "ring in the end of the year" with a title change. The upcoming demo update will rename the game's demo to *Dawn of the New Hour - Aurum Demo*.

Another countdown was found online here.

## Trivia

* Hacking the game by going into VX Ace can allow the player to set up warp points into various locations, such as Sullivan's House, Luxerion, and a firey location with no name other than "? ? ?". These locations are not finished, and many of the dialogues have not been updated since version 1.2 of the demo.
	+ Accessing areas not expressly given to the player by normal means has the risk of crashing the game or spoiling key points in the storyline for the Full Game.
* A Quest Menu is added in DEMO Version 1.5. This could mean that the developer, Sullivan Miranda, is close finalizing features. With the finalization of features, this could mean that the story will progress, and the Full Game's development will continue at a faster pace.
* The countdown site has never been made for previous versions. This is new for 1.5. This might mean that this is a much larger DEMO that it is lead to believe.
	+ 1.5's update was indeed much larger than it was originally conceived. While 1.6 also having its own countdown, it was up to speculation as to what would be added to the new update, but 1.6 was halted until it was skipped over entirely.

1. ↑ http://gamejolt.com/games/dawn-of-the-new-hour-demo-version/99304/news/update-6-28-2016-demo-version-1-5/157655
2. ↑ http://gamejolt.com/games/dawn-of-the-new-hour-demo-version/99304/news/update-1-5b-is-now-online/162377
3. ↑ http://gamejolt.com/games/dawn-of-the-new-hour-demo-version/99304/news/update-1-7-needed-and-you-re-invited/163549
4. ↑ https://plus.google.com/+SullivanMiranda/posts/3RSiuHxo7mu
5. ↑ https://plus.google.com/+SullivanMiranda/posts/jBjK5jFKTdX