The biggest change is a new default GUI framework. Out of the box, the new GUI looks more modern, works across a range of screen sizes, and supports mobile devices out of the box. The GUI is also easier for creators of all skill levels to customize, with re-theming accomplished by replacing image files and optionally adjusting variables. The Ren'Py documentation now includes a GUI customization guide explaining how to completely retheme the new GUI.
Thanks go to Auro-Cyanide for the original design of the new GUI. (But don't blame her - we've had to stray quite a bit from that design in pursuit of resolution independence.)
There have been a features added to Ren'Py to support the new GUI.
- Ren'Py now natively supports a dialogue history/readback system.
- File pages can be renamed by clicking on the page title/number.
- Style properties that use image filenames can take a [prefix\_] substitution, which causes a style prefix search.
- Android support has been partially rewritten. It now supports x86 in addition to ARM, supports immersive mode, and fixes problems downloading Android dependencies.
- Ren'Py supports Chrome OS by converting an Android package using the Android Runtime for Chrome tool.
- The Ren'Py script language supports locally-scoped labels.
- Transforms support tiling the child multiple times, and panning over the child image by an angle.
Downloads of 6.99.11 can be found at:
https://www.renpy.org/release/6.99.11
A full list of changes to Ren'Py can be found at:
https://www.renpy.org/doc/html/changelog.html
A list of changes that may require you to update your game can be found at:
https://www.renpy.org/doc/html/incompatible.html
As usual, I'd like to thank everyone here who contributed by testing the prerelease. Testing is so important, given how many people use Ren'Py - without the shakedown given by the testers, 6.99.11 wouldn't be what it is.