Ahoy!
BlackMark Studio is sailing full speed toward patch 2.0 — we have been working so hard that there has been no time for news at all.
That will change soon.
We already have specific dates for the alpha and beta tests. We have a release date.
This week, we plan to release the second teaser and the first 2.0 development diary.
And today, we have released patch 1.8.2. No new game required.
The sole focus of 1.8.2 is performance
This is a major foundational effort, and we are sincerely grateful to Wazar.
We have achieved a significant improvement in stability and performance. Now even the most demanding areas — whether it is a crowded Willemstad, a large naval battle, or a massive land fight — run noticeably better.
The game code has been massively reworked. In some areas, FPS has increased by 40%.
Important warning
The patch has gone through the most intensive testing on our side, but we must warn you: due to the depth of the changes, we cannot guarantee that a new issue will not appear somewhere.
So: if after the patch you encounter crashes, freezes, strange performance drops, long loading times, broken scenes, missing objects, unexpected NPC behavior, or any other oddities — please report them to technical support.
What matters most to us:
- where exactly the problem occurred;
- what you were doing before it happened;
- whether it can be reproduced;
- whether there is a save near the moment of the issue;
- whether the game’s behavior has changed compared to the previous version.
Why this matters for 2.0
New graphics mean new optimization requirements. The more performance and stability we gain now, the more opportunities the engine team will have to keep making the game better and better.
Very soon you will see the new teaser, and you will understand JUST HOW MUCH better it has become.
A new item for the community
In addition to the optimizations, we have added a new item to the game — a small token of gratitude to our community.
Because throughout all this time, you have done more than just play. You wrote reports, argued, found bugs, gave suggestions, criticized us, praised us, came back after breaks, brought friends, dug out old saves, and allowed our game to live and thrive.
This item is the Nocturnalia, a navigation instrument and a small gesture toward everyone who continues to sail onward with us. And it matters to us that your contribution leaves a mark in the game.
Install the patch, see how the game performs on your hardware, and send us your feedback!
What we do — we do for you. :jollyr:
