Blooncyclopedia:Projects/Update history: Difference between revisions

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==Goals==
[[File:BTD6 ProfileAvatar70.png|thumb|200px]]
*Document every single update that has ever released for a ''Bloons'' game.
The '''update history project''' focuses on documenting every single update that ever released for a ''Bloons'' game. Our goal is to document updates as thoroughly as possible, focusing on the ''actual'' changes made in updates, not just what's listed in official update notes. This includes documenting the following:
*Document updates as thoroughly as possible. Focus on the ''actual'' changes made in updates, not just what's listed in official update notes. This includes documenting introduced bugs, graphical changes,
*Bugs that the update introduced
*Redo existing update articles to follow the update history guidelines, which were not formally established until recently.
*Text and graphics changes
*Catalog as many official descriptions and promotional images of updates as possible.
*Added or removed unused content


==Potential obstacles==
Since our [[Blooncyclopedia:Update history guidelines|update history guidelines]] were only recently established, we also need to redo existing update articles to be more consistent with recent update articles. We also need to catalog as many official descriptions and promotional images of updates as possible.
*Updates for most of the Flash games are poorly documented on the internet. Finding exact changes requires uncovering and datamining old SWF files, since Ninja Kiwi did not keep backups of older versions of their Flash games on their website.
*Older versions of some discontinued mobile games are lost.
*Ninja Kiwi does not have backups of <code>xpromo</code> files on their servers, so finding URLs for all of the cross-promotional images is not going to be easy.


==How to help==
==How to help==
*See [[Help:Update history]] for how to use update history templates and [[Blooncyclopedia:Update history guidelines]] for how to structure update history articles.
*See [[Help:Update history]] for how to use update history templates and [[Blooncyclopedia:Update history guidelines]] for how to structure update history articles.
*Simple tasks:
**Rewriting bullet points to use the <code>|name=</code> parameter of templates like {{temp|buff}}, {{temp|nerf}}, et cetera
**Updating text changes to use the new {{temp|compare text}} template
**Adding release dates and/or sources for release dates
**Reordering section headers and making them more consistent with the guidelines
**Moving notes about errors in official update notes to a "Notes" section at the bottom of the article
*Complex tasks:
**Finding out specifics of vague update notes, usually ones pertaining to bug fixes and minor issues, ideally by providing references to things like Reddit posts that report those issues in more detail
**Downpatching games to conduct research, for similar reasons to the above
**Moving minor changes to towers to templates like {{temp|BTD6 tower changes}} or {{temp|BTD6 hero changes}}, even if the changes are minor
**Converting lists of changes to minor elements, like Monkey Knowledge, to tables by using templates like {{temp|BTD6 changes table}}


==Articles required==
==Articles required==
Line 30: Line 38:
***These articles may be split up by year of release if they turn out to be too long.
***These articles may be split up by year of release if they turn out to be too long.
*For other games, simply list the updates on the article for the game itself instead of having a separate article for it.
*For other games, simply list the updates on the article for the game itself instead of having a separate article for it.
==Potential obstacles==
*Updates for most of the Flash games are poorly documented on the internet. Finding exact changes requires uncovering and datamining old SWF files, since Ninja Kiwi did not keep backups of older versions of their Flash games on their website.
*Older versions of some discontinued mobile games are lost.
*Ninja Kiwi does not have backups of <code>xpromo</code> files accessible from their servers, so finding URLs for all of the cross-promotional images is not going to be easy.


==Resources==
==Resources==
Feel free to add any useful resources to this section.
===Release dates===
===Release dates===
{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
Line 55: Line 70:
===Flash game SWFs===
===Flash game SWFs===
This list is incomplete.
This list is incomplete.
====Bloons 2====
====Bloons 2====
{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
Line 696: Line 712:
==Navigation==
==Navigation==
{{blooncyclopedia nav}}
{{blooncyclopedia nav}}
<!--[[Category:Wiki projects]]-->
[[Category:Wiki projects]]

Revision as of 13:45, 22 June 2026

The update history project focuses on documenting every single update that ever released for a Bloons game. Our goal is to document updates as thoroughly as possible, focusing on the actual changes made in updates, not just what's listed in official update notes. This includes documenting the following:

  • Bugs that the update introduced
  • Text and graphics changes
  • Added or removed unused content

Since our update history guidelines were only recently established, we also need to redo existing update articles to be more consistent with recent update articles. We also need to catalog as many official descriptions and promotional images of updates as possible.

How to help

  • See Help:Update history for how to use update history templates and Blooncyclopedia:Update history guidelines for how to structure update history articles.
  • Simple tasks:
    • Rewriting bullet points to use the |name= parameter of templates like {{buff}}, {{nerf}}, et cetera
    • Updating text changes to use the new {{compare text}} template
    • Adding release dates and/or sources for release dates
    • Reordering section headers and making them more consistent with the guidelines
    • Moving notes about errors in official update notes to a "Notes" section at the bottom of the article
  • Complex tasks:
    • Finding out specifics of vague update notes, usually ones pertaining to bug fixes and minor issues, ideally by providing references to things like Reddit posts that report those issues in more detail
    • Downpatching games to conduct research, for similar reasons to the above
    • Moving minor changes to towers to templates like {{BTD6 tower changes}} or {{BTD6 hero changes}}, even if the changes are minor
    • Converting lists of changes to minor elements, like Monkey Knowledge, to tables by using templates like {{BTD6 changes table}}

Articles required

Potential obstacles

  • Updates for most of the Flash games are poorly documented on the internet. Finding exact changes requires uncovering and datamining old SWF files, since Ninja Kiwi did not keep backups of older versions of their Flash games on their website.
  • Older versions of some discontinued mobile games are lost.
  • Ninja Kiwi does not have backups of xpromo files accessible from their servers, so finding URLs for all of the cross-promotional images is not going to be easy.

Resources

Feel free to add any useful resources to this section.

Release dates

Platform Method Example(s)
Steam SteamDB Bloons TD 6 (Windows)
Bloons TD 6 (macOS)
Epic Games Store Epic Games Database Bloons TD 6 (Windows)
Bloons TD 6 (Android)
Bloons TD 6 (iOS)

Downloading old versions of games on Steam

  1. Find the manifest of the version from the depot for the game/platform on SteamDB. For example, for Bloons TD 6 on Windows, go to https://steamdb.info/depot/960091/ and click on "manifests".
  2. Make sure "Steam console" is selected, then click on the copy button to the right of the manifest you want to download. Note that you must own a license for the game to download it.
  3. Once you copy it, you can open the Steam console using the link that pops up in the top-right corner of the webpage.
  4. Paste the command in the Steam console and wait for it to download. When it finishes, the console will tell you where the files are on your computer.

Flash game SWFs

This list is incomplete.

Bloons 2

Name Version Live link Archive link Notes
bloons2.swf (2011) 3.0 [1]
bloons2.swf (current) 3.0 [2] [3] Size is different from the 2011 version despite having the same version number, no idea why
bloons2-2.swf 3.0 [4] [5] Byte-for-byte identical to current bloons2.swf
bloons2-5.swf 2.8 [6] [7] The version used on the archive and the site prior to web games being removed, despite being outdated and having broken fonts
bloons2_nohighscore.swf 2.8 [8] [9] Almost the exact same file size as 2-5, no clue what the differences are
bloons2.swf (kong) 0.2C [10] [11] Has free dart guideline and ads for bloons blast
552853_bloons2.swf (ng) 2.2 [12] [13]
bloons2.swf (mochi) 2.5 [14] Has christmas expansion promo
bloons2.swf?affiliate_id=4ec3e7fc44026e17 (mochi distribute) 0.4C [15] Has driller bunny mobile promo
bloons2.swf?affiliate_id=a80dc05ffde594ea (2011) 2.7 [16]

Christmas Expansion

Name Version Live link Archive link Notes
bloons2xmas.swf (mochi 2011) 1.0 [17]
bloons2xmas.swf (mochi 2012) 1.1 [18]
bloons2xmas.swf 1.0 [19] [20]

Spring Fling

Name Version Live link Archive link Notes
bloons2spring.swf 1.11 [21] [22]
bloons2_spring_fling.swf 1.12 [23] [24]
bloons2_spring_fling.swf (mochi) 1.12 [25] Doesn't have broken fonts

BTD4

Name Version Live link Archive link Notes
bloonstd4.swf (2009) 1.1 [26]
bloonstd4.swf (may 2010) 1.11 [27]
bloonstd4.swf (aug 2010) 1.15 [28]
bloonstd4.swf?affiliate_id=1c8e96a7a0a86d06 (feb 2011) 1.17 [29]
bloonstd4.swf (sep 2011) 1.26 [30]
bloonstd4.swf (jan 2012) 1.30 [31]
bloonstd4.swf (feb 2012) 1.31 [32]
bloonstd4.swf (sept 2012) 1.32 [33]
bloonstd4.swf (nov 2012) 1.33 [34]
bloonstd4.swf (2016) 1.33 [35]
bloonstd4_moved.swf 1.35b [36] [37]
518052_bloonstd4.swf (ng) 1.0 [38] [39]
bloonstd4.swf (kong) 1.28k [40] [41]

BTD4E

Name Version Live link Archive link Notes
bloonstd4exp.swf (2011) 1.17 exp [42]
bloonstd4exp.swf (2012) 1.18 exp [43]
bloonstd4exp.swf (2014) 1.18 exp [44] [45] Adds NK account support
553984_bloonstd4exp.swf (ng) 1.17 exp [46] [47]

BSM

Name Version Live link Archive link Notes
bloonssupermonkey.swf (2010) 1.10 [48]
bloonssupermonkey.swf?affiliate_id=9cc4cef3a0080450 (oct 2010) 3.2 [49]
bloonssupermonkey.swf (2014) 3.6 [50] [51] Has BSM2 ad
bloonssupermonkey.swf (kong) 1.08 [52] [53]
bloonssupermonkey.swf (ng) 1.08 [54] [55]
bloonssupermonkey.swf (mochi) 3.6 [56] Has hungry sumo mobile ad

BTD5

forum post listing updates (not 100% accurate though? missing some versions like v280212)

Name Version Live link Archive link Notes
btd5.swf (4 jan 2012) 231211-1 [57]
btd5.swf (11 jan 2012) 090112 [58]
btd5.swf (27 jan 2012) 270112 [59]
btd5.swf (1 mar 2012) 280212 [60]
btd5-dat.swf?v=250512 (oct 2012) 111012.01 [61]
btd5-dat.swf?v=110512-2 (nov 2012) 151112.03 [62]
btd5-dat.swf?v=150612-3.html (dec 2012) 121212.01 [63]
btd5-dat.swf?v=180512 (21 dec 2012) 191212.05 [64] Has double MM and premium discount
btd5-dat.swf?v=180512 (jan 2013) 130117.01 [65]
btd5.swf?cachebust=130117.01 (kong) 130117.01 [66]
610995_btd5.swf (ng) 130131.01 [67] [68]
btd5.swf?cachebust=130131.09 (kong) 130131.09 [69]
btd5-dat.swf?v=150612-3 (feb 2013) 130214.05 [70]
btd5.swf?cachebust=130214.05 (kong) 130214.05 [71]
btd5-dat.swf?v=250512 (feb 2013) 130220.01 [72]
btd5.swf?cachebust=130306.01 (kong) 130220.01 [73]
btd5-dat.swf (1 may 2013) 130405.02 [74]
btd5-dat.swf (24 may 2013) 130502.04 [75]
btd5-dat.swf?v=150612-3 (jun 2013) 130527.01 [76]
btd5.swf?cachebust=130613.09 (kong) 130613.09 [77]
btd5-dat.swf?v=180512 (aug 2013) 130619.01 [78]
btd5-dat.swf?v=20130619-02 (aug 2013) 130829.02 [79]
btd5-dat.swf (sep 2013) 130917.01 [80]
btd5.swf?cachebust=130918.01 (kong) 130927.01 [81]
btd5-dat.swf?v=20130828-1 (sep 2013) 130927.01 [82]
btd5-dat.swf?v=150612-3 (11 dec 2013) 131127.01 [83]
btd5-dat.swf?v=250512 (21 dec 2013) 131216.01 [84] Has winter theme
btd5-dat.swf (apr 2014) 140319.01 [85]
btd5-dat.swf?v=150612-3 (jul 2014) 140419.01 [86]
btd5-dat.swf (sep 2014) 140801.01 [87]
btd5-dat.swf?v=20141104-01 (nov 2014) 141104.01 [88]
btd5.swf?cachebust=130927.01 (kong) 141109.01 [89]
btd5-dat.swf?v=20150112-01 (jan 2015) 150112.01 [90]
btd5-dat.swf?v=150612-3 (mar 2015) 150304.03 [91]
btd5-dat.swf (jun 2015) 150521.01 [92]
btd5-dat.swf?v=250512 (jul 2015) 150703.01 [93] Has double MM
btd5-dat.swf?v=20150707-01 (jul 2015) 150707.01 [94]
btd5-dat.swf?v=250512 (aug 2015) 150805.01 [95]
btd5.swf?cachebust=150805.01 (kong) 150805.01 [96]
btd5-dat.swf?v=20151015-01 (nov 2015) 151102.02 [97]
bloons-td-5-17839.swf?v=1446778807 (ag) 151102.02 [98]
btd5-dat.swf?gp=1 (dec 2015) 151208.01 [99] Has new winter theme
btd5-dat.swf (feb 2016) 160113.02 [100]
btd5-dat.swf?v=20140319-02 (mar 2016) 160323.01 [101]
btd5-dat.swf?v=250512 (4 apr 2016) 160330.01 [102]
bloons-td-5-17839.swf?v=1459440032 (ag) 160330.01 [103]
btd5.swf?cachebust=160411.01 (kong) 160412.03 [104]
bloons-td-5-17839.swf?v=1458983103 (ag) 160412.03 [105]
btd5-dat.swf?v=250512 (21 apr 2016) 160418.03 [106]
btd5-dat.swf?gp=1 (sep 2016) 160715.01 [107]
btd5.swf?cachebust=161026.01 (kong) 161026.01 [108]
btd5-dat.swf?gp=1 (nov 2016) 161028.01 [109]
btd5-dat.swf?gp=1 (dec 2016) 161107.01 [110]
btd5.swf?cachebust=161107.01 (kong) 161107.01 [111]
bloons-td-5-17839.swf (ag) 161107.01 [112]
btd5-dat.swf?gp=1 (7 jan 2017) 161212.01 [113]
btd5-dat.swf?v=250512 (feb 2017) 170112.01 [114]
btd5.swf?cachebust=170112.01 (kong) 170112.01 [115]
btd5-dat.swf?v=250512 (jun 2017) 170420.01 [116]
btd5.swf?cachebust=170420.01 (kong) 170420.01 [117]
bloons-td-5-17839.swf?v=1492642274 (ag) 170420.01 [118]
btd5-dat.swf?v=20130927 (jun 2018) 180115.01 [119]
btd5.swf?cachebust=180115.01 (kong) 180115.01 [120]
bloons-td-5-17839.swf?v=1513722997 (ag) 180115.01 [121]
btd5-dat.swf (sep 2018) 180611.01 [122]
bloons-td-5-17839.swf?v=1529366225 (ag) 180611.01 [123]
bloons-td-5-17839.swf?v=1539913216 (ag) 181019.01 [124]
bloons-td-5-17839.swf?v=1541973814 (ag) 181112.01 [125]
btd5-dat.swf (sep 2019) 190114.01 [126] [127]
btd5.swf?cachebust=190114.01 (kong) 190114.01 [128] [129]
bloons-td-5-17839.swf?v=1547412936 (ag) 180114.01 [130] [131]
btd5-dat-nolock.swf 190114.01 [132] [133]
btd5-dat-nolock2.swf 190114.01 [134] [135]
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