Hello, dragons!
Version 1.18 of DragonClash has arrived, and this update is primarily focused on improving the new player experience and refining the look/feel of the game as the end of Early Access approaches.
NEW PLAYER EXPERIENCE
I looked at improving two areas to help ease the learning curve for new players. The first was one of those "duh - why, didn't I do this 17 versions ago?" moments. You can now access the
full rulebook during a match rather than just the main menu. Just click on the handy rulebook icon near the Settings wheel.
The other area has been more complex - and that is the "tutorial" experience. I've been torn about how in-depth to make the tutorial experience and how much time/resources to devote to it. I mapped out starter battles, toyed with tutorial quests, and even dabbled with in-game videos. In the end, looking at the feedback I'd received, I decided to stick to the simpler and less invasive tutorial slides. However, I dug back in and revamped the look/feel of the slides to hopefully make the information more readable and easy to digest. As always, you can turn them off/on in the Options menu.
POLISHING THE EGG
Speaking of the Options menu, I did a design pass to spruce up the look/feel of both the Options and Credits screens. The Options menu has also been expanded to offer you more control over the Tooltips offered.
You may also notice other changes aimed at improving the overall information flow during gameplay. The most noticeable is probably the new Success/Fail alerts that will pop up for cards that use Battle Value to resolve. Sometimes the action can fly by so fast that you miss whether your Aura Darts actually connected, for example. Or maybe that's just me.
COMING SOON
Early Access is winding down and focus has shifted to polish and bug fixing. Please use the discussion forums on Steam to post your bug reports.
EARLY ACCESS DISCOUNT
Early Access isn't over just yet, though! Just a reminder that early adopters get the game cheaper! If you're already a game owner - thank you! If you've been following along via the updates, please consider jumping aboard. Your support helps my indie developer efforts and you'll get the game at its Early Access price.
UPDATE NOTES
Version 1.18
Hotfix:
- Fixed: Game locks if AI is hit with a rank 3+ Fire Breath and the DOT effect forces AI to discard from Hand or Hoard during its turn.
- Fixed: Fade-in for intro movie missing.
Version 1.17
Engine:
- Upgraded Unity engine
AI Revisions:
- Bosses and Corlock were intentionally over aggressive, choosing to rarely rest. However, that led to some cases near the end of a match where they'd be unable to attack through their own inaction. This has been tweaked.
- Tweaked AI decision on when to move to Safe
- Tweaked AI decision on whether to Rest if very low cards in deck
User Experience:
- The rules are now accessible during a match by clicking on the Rulebook icon (next to the Options icon)
- The game will no longer pause for counters that require a Battle Value draw, if you have 0 cards in your deck (because you can't play them)
- Added ACTION to Siphon Life
- Adjusted some delays and timing pauses between AI decisions for smoother gameplay
- Updated post-match Victory and Defeat screens
- Updated Tutorial experience
- Added Success/Fail indicators for cards that require Battle Value draws
- Expanded and overhauled look/feel of Options screen
- Updated Credits screen
- Adjusted Intro movie
- Added more Loading prompts where relevant
- Updated the look/feel of game buttons
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed: Changed test on Earth Geysers from Claw Smash to Claw Slam
- Fixed: Small spacing issues on Age cards
- Tracking: Timing issues with AI discards. Put in fix.
- Fixed: Hoard did not always light up for Shed Skin option.
- Fixed: Tooltips would sometimes get "stuck" on.
Investigating:
- Fire Breath - Rank 3+ may lock the game if opponent is forced to discard from Hand/Hoard via the attack's bonus effect.