Hello everyone!
We're here to address the lack of development news!
We've been deeply buried in development, but we believe it's for a good reason! Today, we want to share the what, why, and how of the upcoming update we are currently polishing and testing.
New Game Structure
We realized the current structure doesn't let players rest, upgrade their city between regions, and is overly punishing when an expedition fails in the late stages. We've reworked the structure to shorten expedition times and provide more city development opportunities.
Before: The player's party traveled through all regions sequentially, only returning to the capital after the entire campaign.
Now: Before an expedition, the player chooses which region to embark to. Regions unlock progressively. After successfully completing a region, the party returns to the capital. Survivors become Veterans and also return. For new expeditions (except the first region), assembling a party will require Veterans.
New Item System
Your feedback indicated the item system was too simplistic and didn't provide satisfying character build customization. While we don't want to over-emphasize this mechanic, it needed depth.
Before: Items lacked variety, mostly just adding flat stat points. The rarity system wasn't intuitive. Characters had 3 slots (Weapon, Armor, Accessory).
Now: Characters now have 5 slots (Weapon, Armor, Accessory, Boots, Helmet). Items now have a prefix (e.g., Sharp, Sturdy, Inspiring...) and suffix (e.g., of Fortitude, of Tactics, of Undead Slaying...) system, granting random bonuses based on rarity.
Common (White): Base item bonuses only.
Uncommon (Green): Base bonuses + 1 prefix.
Rare (Blue): Base bonuses + 1 prefix + 1 suffix.
Epic (Purple): Base bonuses + 1 prefix + 2 suffixes.
Unique (Orange): Items with unique modifiers.
Some items now have class restrictions (e.g., Archers can't equip melee weapons, and Warriors can't equip bows).
New Feature - Deeds
To expand in-game objectives, we're giving each character small quests with nice rewards. Deeds are like personal achievements; completing them grants a character a permanent bonus. Each character has 3 available Deeds.
Game Save Slots
You can now have multiple concurrent campaigns. It's also easier to reset progress by clearing a slot.
Koschei's Curses
Before: After clearing all available regions, players quickly lost interest as enemy difficulty didn't increase.
Now: Once all current regions are completed, players can choose Curses for new expeditions, which significantly impact game balance and difficulty.
Combat Interface Changes
Noticing many players missed certain UI panels, affecting their experience, we've redesigned the combat interface again to keep all key elements close and visible.
Rebalancing
Naturally, new mechanics and overhauls affect game balance. We are diligently tuning it and would appreciate your help and feedback.
Other Changes
Region maps now have moving caravan points heading to the capital. Use them to send heroes back early, preserving them for future expeditions and healing injuries (some negative quirks) acquired during the journey.
A new post-expedition results screen with statistics.
Character classes now have color identification.
Character level is now displayed on their icons.
Warning points on region maps have been removed; their function is now handled by Waystones.
We are currently polishing, testing, and balancing this update, scheduled for release before the end of the month.
Thank you for staying with us!
– The Divovision Games Team
