Next to all the hotfixes we supplied during last two weeks after our 1.0 launch we have been working tirelessly on the next major milestone for Striving for Light. Thank you for your massive support <3
We have spent last weeks listening to your feedback and are very happy to see that the majority is enjoying our game. This means a lot to us and we are dedicated to further improve the game based on your feedback to make Striving for Light the best it can be!
With the Collapsing Worlds update version 1.0.1.0 we are introducing 5 new endgame map tiers and reworking the endgame difficulty scaling. We have also redesigned all pathfinder map node designs. There will be less traps, loot now collides with traps so that no more loot can land on traps. The update will also bring major performance improvements and engine upgrades as well as balancing changes and more!
So lets dive in!
New Features:
5 New Map Tiers:
Map tiers XV - XX have been introduced. Currently the endgame difficulty was flatting out due to no higher map tiers have been spawning and map modifiers would not rise, leading to players outscaling the game reaching very very high levels way beyond the intended (lv. >600). With the new introduced map tiers we want to introduce further raising challenge in the "very late" endgame that would eventually also lead to an end of a run to stay true to our games vision.
Map Tiers XV-XX will be the hardest maps in the game, featuring an increased amount of initial map mods and also higher base damage. These maps will start spawning after a player level way beyond 100.
Redesigned Maps and Map Tier Indicators
With the new added map modifiers we had the vision to also rework the desing of all map tiers as well as the map icons. As with each map tier you are delving deeper into the darkness we want this also being displayed by our map node design for the further and further collapsing worlds. Here are only a few of all 20 new unique map tier designs.
You might also have noticed that all map icons have also been redesigned to look a bit more clean and to be easier to read.
Loot and Trap collisions
Traps now collide with item drops. Loot will not be able to drop onto traps anymore and moves away from the traps to allow hassle free pickups. We have also reduced the maximum trap amount as well as the trap amount scaling during endgame to have less cluttered maps during endgame.
Softcore -> Normal Mode
Softcore Mode is now renamed to Normal Mode to not trigger false expectations. A new UI notification has been added to communicate how much shields remain.
Charge - Range Attack Rework
Charge Range Attack has been completely reworked. Charging your range attack will now increase your projectile damage up to 600% (was 300% before). Charging will now as well trigger additional on attack effects.
So if you now have a companion on attack effect and you charge your range attack the full 3s you will get 3 on attack triggers -> 3 companions spawned. If using a ascended weapon with 2 companions on attack effects while the weapon itself holding a companion on attack effect you can spawn 9 companions with one charged attack.
Projectile on hit effects will also gain additional triggers, so if you have scattering projectiles activated and you fully charge your attack you will gain 3x the projectiles for all your projectile on hit effects.
Another change we applied to charge is that charging your range attacks does only slightly increase projectile size as previously when scaling with AoE size as well projectiles could become so huge they would simply collide with walls leading to damage loss instead of a damage gain.
Persistent Node Search Highlights
The highlighted nodes from the skilltree node search is now persistent even when spending skillpoints, activating or deactivating skills, placing skillgems or using shards. This should help on large skilltrees to keep your marked destinations active preventing you from re-entering the same search text over and over again.
Performance Improvements
- Performance Improvements for Tooltips: The entire tooltip system was rewritten to support lazy tooltip loading. Tooltips will now only be loaded when hovering reducing skilltree/pathfinder and all other UI loading times.
- Performance Improvements for Translations: All translations are now cached to further reduce loading times on skilltree/ pathfinder and UI elements.
- Performance Improvements for all AoE Effects: The effect system got upgraded for improved performance spawning dozens of effects at once.
- Engine Upgrade: Engine was upgraded for improved performance on instantiating/ removing objects during gameplay
- Performance Improvements for Menu Loading Times: Loading times on scene transitions or menu loading like for the achievement menu are now much faster.
Major Changes and Improvements
- Glaring Light is now displayed with proper perspective
- Decreased map loot chest item drop force to make items slide less
- Projectile Range stat has been added to the stats window.
- Pathfinder tutorial now markes the next map with an arrow to guide new players which map can be traveled too next.
- Flood and Metor sfx now use alternate soundeffects and fixed cutoff sound effects
Steamdeck & Linux
Our native linux version has now been approved and will be the default game version launched on the steamdeck. In case you did use the proton version previously and you do not see your save files showing up when switching the game version. Backup and copy the save files from proton directory to the native save file directory:
- Native path: ~/.local/share/godot/app_userdata/StrivingForLight/
- Proton path: ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1646790/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Roaming/Godot/app_userdata/StrivingForLight/
Improved Japanses Localisation
The Japanese Localisation of Striving for Light was improved thanks to the contribution of jb-5th. Thank you very much for your efforts and dedicated time supporting the game <3
If you want to contribute to the localisation of Striving for Light feel free to join the force at:
https://github.com/IgnitingSparkGames/StrivingForLight-Localisation/
Balancing
- Less Traps: Overall less traps are spawned. The amount of maximum traps that can spawn per map has also been reduced. The trap amount scaling is now as well much flatter.
- Heleja Specialisation - Blink: now grants +2 additional dodge (was 1), decreases your dodge regeneration by -25%
- Melee Echo Weapon Size: Reduced the melee size scaling slightly for melee echo weapons as they could get "a little bit too huge" on maxed out weapon scale.
- Flood now has an reduced cooldown reduction of 250% and each stack reduces the cooldown by -15% (was -20%)
- Range Attack Replacers: Swirl and Revert shot now have a capped distance increase
- Increased Projectile Range: Increased Projectile range is now capped at the double initial projectile range
- Dodge Regeneration: Increased Dodge Regeneration +5 % (was +10%)
- Dodge Regeneration Legacy Nodes: Increased Dodge Regeneration +5% (was 15%)
- Evasion Chance: Increased Evasion Chance by +4% (was +5%)
- Slightly higher enemy HP scaling during very late endgame
- Slightly more map mods spawn on high tier maps so less augmentations need to be used during endgame.
Bugfixes
- Fixed placing range constructs ignoring the attackspeed after weapon switch
- Fixed cutoff sound effect for meteors. Meteors now also have randomised sound effects.
- Fixed echo ballista playing repeating attack sound effects
- Fixed a potential crash on speaking with Darokin in the tutorial
- Fixed potential crashes upon scene transitions during combat
- Fixed blocked progress when dying in a rift on normal mode when you have already defeated an endboss
- Fixed not active collider on x shape rift blade trap
- Fixed a crash when entering the skilltree when having player effect spawning skill effects active (1.0.1.0e)
We are looking forward to hear your feedback on all these changes! Thanks for your amazing support and for playing our game <3
You are invited to join our official discord. Chat with fellow SfL Players, discuss builds, the new content update or just hang out with us.