Greetings Adventurers!
This update is a major refresh that focuses on two key areas of For The King II - The User Interface (UI) and the flow of Combat. Both areas contain meaningful changes that look to address longstanding feedback and improve existing gameplay. This update also brings in new map variants for all of the five current adventures, a host of bug fixes, and more!
MAP VARIANTS
We’re excited to introduce map variants for each chapter. With map variants players will have an added layer of depth to how they travel through Fahrul. Each chapter contains at least 4 variations.
FLOW OF COMBAT
One challenge we’ve had with combat and the UI is the amount of information that we need to show during combat. When updating our combat from the first game by adding a fourth character and the introduction of the battle grid, we drastically altered how, and what, we need to share. With this update we’ve made some changes to help address this area of feedback.
Firstly, the combat ability menu will now collapse after an ability is selected. We made this change to allow for better focus on the battlefield after making the ability selection. Second, we’ve introduced a new HUD mode called “Contextual.” This will highlight and show HUD information based off of what is happening in combat. We’ve also improved the click-ability and visual contrast of the combat tiles themselves. Players will now have an easier time selecting a target in combat without having to find that little bit of tile real estate to click to attack.
Read below for more details on the combat flow changes and other improvements to combat.
COMBAT ABILITIES FLOW
- The combat ability menu is now collapsible. After an ability is selected, the menu will collapse to provide a clearer view of the battlefield.
- Class skills have a new purple background to clearly stand out from other abilities.
- Spent Focus will now remain when changing abilities. This should reduce attacks from happening when Focus was applied and then removed.
CONTEXTUAL HUDS
- In contextual HUD mode superfluous information is automatically dimmed, such as irrelevant enemy immunities.
- In contextual HUD mode only the targeted character will be shown while an ability is triggering.
- Contextual HUD mode can be changed in settings to fine-tune what combat information you would like to be made visible.
COMBAT TIMELINE
- The combat timeline has had a visual refresh! This new timeline should more clearly show whose current turn it is, as well as adding more contrast when selecting through the timeline.
COMBAT GRID
- We’ve updated the combat grid visuals across all scenarios to have improved visibility and clarity, especially in foggy and rainy areas.
- The combat grid now more clearly shows who the primary target of an ability is, especially when targeting yourself or allies.
UI REFRESH
As part of this update, we have made huge changes to the overall interface of the game. We’ve changed almost every single menu to improve the user experience when playing the game. From changing characters in Party Management, the Royal Tutor, the Combat Timeline, and all of the button states.
The Button states in the game now have a better consistency and readability across the various menus, markets, inputs, confirmations, traps, you name it. Included in these changes is improved highlighting, with a much clearer golden highlight rather than the previous outline. The improved highlighting provides a better experience when in Loadout, while shopping in Markets, changing your equipment, even when you’re making decisions on whether to use a Tinder Pouch or continue in a Dungeon rest phase. Along with the menu and highlight changes we’ve also overhauled all of the dialogue boxes to provide a much richer experience, including improved visuals of all speakers. To go along with the new dialogues, we’ve also revisited the Royal Tutor and improved the entire tutorial experience.
Read more below for more detail on changes to the UI.
GENERAL BUTTON REFRESH
- The general look of many buttons, frames, and menus throughout the game has been reworked in order to convey information more clearly and to make menus more easily navigable with controllers.
DIALOGUE
- All NPC and quest dialogue frames within the game have been given an overhaul, with new portraits of all your favorite allies and villains.
ROYAL TUTOR
- The Royal Tutor got a big makeover, with new visuals, improved wording, and helpful arrows pointing out relevant information.
TOWNS
Each section of the Town menu has received an update to provide more clear information and improve the experience of visiting towns.
MARKET
- The active market HUD and gold amount is now at the bottom of the market menu to have better alignment with the active Player HUD to help inform who is currently shopping. This is especially noticeable in dungeon markets.
- When using a controller, markets will use dual-highlighting to show where the player is within the market and inventory.
MERC GUILD
- Mercs and mercenary deeds have been updated to more clearly show previews of their skills, cost, and duration before hiring.
- Rehiring mercs now gives information about the cost and contract duration.
OVERWORLD
- Improved camera flows for multiple instances on the overworld when using items, completing quests, or travelling through Alluring Pools.
OVERWORLD TIMELINE
Visual upgrade on the overworld timeline to better match the improved visuals of the game.
- The active turn is now shown with a gold selector frame. Previously the active turn was not presented and the first timeline block showed the next turn.
DUNGEON TIMELINE
- Dungeon Fountains now have a unique icon so that parties can better plan their healing strategies in longer dungeons or during Dark Carnival runs.
KRAKEN INDICATOR
We’ve introduced a new Kraken Indicator to the global header to better inform the dangers associated with travelling at sea. Travel accordingly.
- White icon - Regular chance of the Kraken attacking.
- Grey icon - Reduced chance of the Kraken attacking.
- Red Icon - Greater chance of the Kraken attacking.
PARTY MANAGEMENT
- When playing with a controller players can now use the shoulder buttons to select playable characters without having to go into customization.
- Added a confirmation button when deleting a saved Preset.
SETTINGS
- Secrets Mode is now enabled by default in settings.
- Big Head Mode is enabled without needing any special codes.
ANIMATION
- Certain skills now use custom animations, including using vision/teleport scrolls, consuming candy and using various food items.
PERFORMANCE
- Numerous performance improvements have been made and should be noticeable for all players especially those playing on console and lower spec PCs.
BUG FIXES
NOTABLE FIXES
- Fix the issue that a small percentage of players was having where the mountains would cause issues and the overworld could remove all clouds and throw grey or white artifacts.
- Fixed an issue where unlocking Lore Store items during an adventure wouldn’t play the notification until after returning to the Main Menu.
- Fixed an issue where Player Summary could not be opened during Loot Phase.
SOFTLOCKS
- Fixed an online softlock that could affect all players if a client lost internet connection while loading into begin an Adventure.
- Fixed a softlock that could happen after using a Repair Kit on a Landboat and then moving onto a Sanctum or Stone Hero.
- Fixed a softlock that could happen if the player backed out of the Multiplayer Menu to the Main Menu too quickly when using keyboard.
- Fixed a softlock that could happen if the player invoked the Game Menu while delivering the killing blow and quit the game while transitioning to loot phase.
- Fixed a softlock that could happen in combat if the player quits at the perfect time during an enemy attack.
- Fixed a softlock that could happen if the player quits right before the Boss/Scourge dialogue prompt is called in combat.
- Fixed a softlock that could happen if the client cancels joining an adventure right as the adventure begins.
- Fixed a UI softlock that could happen if the player entered the in-game encyclopedia quickly after delivering a killing blow to an enemy.
- Fixed an online softlock that could occur if th eHost opened Party Management menu during the transition to loot phase.
ONLINE
- Fixed an issue where loot phase was always prioritizing the first (farthest left) player rather than prioritizing the “next” player.
- Fixed an issue in online Party Management where changing class would reset other players’ names if they were editing player name.
- Fixed an issue where the game would time out after attempting to join a private game with an incorrect password.
- Fixed an online issue where “Loot” or “Pass” couldn’t be highlight during a Dead Adventure encounter when playing with a controller.
- Fixed an issue where copying password would display “Copied invite code to clipboard!”
- Fixed an issue with randomizing characters having conflicts when more than one player randomized at the same time.
- Fixed an online desync that could happen if the client used an item from the toolbelt while the host was in the Party Management menu.
- Fixed an issue where the enemy model could stand up after death blow if they were also afflicted with different statuses.
OVERWORLD
- Fixed a visual issue where a dead player could be revived and have their player model appear half way in the ground.
- Fixed an issue where Focus Refund would not work correctly when confirming on a Merc Caravan Encounter.
- Fixed various weapons playing particles erroneously on the overworld when leaving a POI.
- Fixed the issue where players wouldn’t be resized correctly after a Lanboat is destroyed from damage.
- Fixed the issue where the hex overlay could be moved prior to the completion of the turn start slot roll.
COMBAT
- Fixed an issue where Evade Up was using the incorrect slot roll icon.
- Fixed an issue where casting a second buff would remove the first buff if both buffs had the same numerical value.
- Fixed an issue where the Queen’s Kite Shield could not cast Protect Neighbors if the player was entangled.
- Fixed an issue where a revived Dead Adventurer would show a human profile in the combat timeline rather then the expected skeleton.
- Fixed an issue where certain Bows would not play the correct animation resulting in the bows flexing awkwardly.
- Fixed an issue where Push and Pull attacks weren’t displaying popcorn text and icons correctly.
- Fixed an issue where the Armor Up Group ability wouldn’t always display the highlight tiles correctly.
- Fixed an issue where the Farmer couldn’t summon Scarecrew if entangled.
- Fixed an issue where being revived by a Sanctum in combat could result in multiple turn actions on the combat timeline.
DUNGEONS
- Lockpicks are now shown above the Player HUDs during trap phases.
- Fixed the issue where a disturbed Dead Adventure was not delivering damage in dungeon combat.
- Fixed the issue where a player couldn’t use an Identify Scroll if they also had a Lockpick in their inventory.
- Improved lighting in various dungeons and Dark Carnival rooms.
- Fixed an issue with the poison particles not showing correctly when failing a Poison Barrel trap.
- Fixed an issue where followers would appear in the next room as the party was running from one room to the next.
DARK CARNIVAL
- Fixed an issue where the DC Leaderboard may not load entries over 100 upon reloading the Leaderboard.
- Fixed an issue with the Round N Round achievement not always unlocking on the correct floor.
UX/UI
- Fixed an issue in Party Management where a deleted character would remain in the party and not be accessible if the character was deleted immediately after selecting.
- Fixed various instances where player HUDs would not update in real-time (gold, equipment, etc).
- Fixed an issue in Combat where the abilities menu could get stuck in a loop when using arrows/WASD and switching active windows away from the game.
- Fixed the issue where equipment was not tinting correctly on the Player Summary endgame screen.
- Fixed the issue where a long character name could go outside of the name display.
- Fixed an issue in Loadout where the first item selected wouldn’t always display the item card correctly.
- Fixed an issue where combat “On Perfect” tooltips could show on non-applicable abilities.
- Fixed an issue in Combat where Evasive was not being displayed as inactive when the character was stunned or dazed.
- Fixed an issue where equipping items with HP buff were not always showing the correct max HP in the tooltip.
- Removed an erroneous boat health display on a boss fight in Chapter 4.
- Fixed an issue where the “Shift to Inspect” language would not update if the keybinding was changed for inspect.
- Fixed an issue where camera movement was limited when zooming in close on characters close to the map edge.
- Fixed the positioning of the Lore Store tutorial banner.
- Fixed an issue where certain cosmetics could overlap the Ready Up button for active player.
CONTROLLER
- Fixed an issue where controller would lose the ability to cycle through characters with shoulder buttons if the Party Management menu was opened in Loadout.
- Fixed an issue where greyed out options in the Game Menu could be selected when playing with controller.
- Fixed an issue with Presets highlighting the Loadout option over the Preset when playing with controller.
- Fixed in issue in Loadout where using a controller wouldn’t always navigate through all players.
- Fixed an issue where the UI would lose focus when using a controller and the player backed out of Loadout by rapidly pressing the back button.
- Fixed an issue on Overworld where a player pressing confirm rapidly after ending the previous character’s turn would move the now-current character to the previous character’s hex.
ART
- Fixed an issue where the final boss fight could have over exposed lighting if the fight was quit and then continued back into.
- Cleaned up an artifact inside the Red Jelly.
AUDIO
- Fixed the issue with cosmetic skins not playing the corresponding voice audio.
- Fixed an issue with the Main Menu audio resetting when leaving the Lore Store.
- Fixed an issue where online clients weren’t having the correct audio events played when joining or leaving adventures.
LOCALIZATION
- Improvements to Japanese localization.
TUTORIALS
- Fixed an issue where keyboard inputs could still be detected white the Royal Tutor had an active tutorial prompt.
SETTINGS
- PC - Fixed an issue where the same button could be bound multiple times.
- Fixed an issue where the game may switch to another monitor when entering Settings.
- Fixed an issue where Lock Cursor to Window could become deactivated if the game sat idle for a certain duration.
- Fixed the issue where the scrollbar is barely visible in the Display > Resolution dropdown.
- Fixed an issue in Controller Reassignment where certain keys were non-responsive when pressing any key to reassign.
- Fixed an issue where the Settings menu may flash on the screen after pressing Save to exit Settings.
- Fixed an issue in Language select where the UI highlighter doesn’t always come back.
PC
- Fixed an issue where the player would not be able to add a character to party management if they left the customization screen from the “Quit to Menu” option on the Game Menu.
- Windows Game Pass - Fixed an issue where not all saved games would be displayed when first entering the load game browser.
- Fixed an issue where changing the input binding for Cycle Tab wouldn’t work correctly.
CONSOLE
- Fixed an issue on Playstation 5 that caused the client to remain the player group if they lost connection resulting in the host’s party unable to add a new player.
- Fixed an issue where players could access unusable graphics options if they were cycling through settings and had Allow Data Sharing disabled.
- Fixed an online desync that could occur when starting an adventure with a player on Xbox One.
- Fixed an issue on Playstation 5 where the player may not be able to view the Lobby after backing out of the “Creating Server” prompt.
- Fixed an issue on Playstation 5 where the Wireless Controller Not Connected screen was not centered correctly.
- Fixed an issue on Playstation 5 where the continue game browser wasn’t displaying all of the adventure information correctly.
- Fixed an issue on Xbox platforms where the game would experience a delay after deleting a save file after hitting the save game file limit.
- Improved performance on Xbox One with regard to item card images.
- Improved the visual fidelity of certain art assets on Gen 8 consoles.
Thank you so much for the continued support! We love engaging with the FTK community and can’t wait to show everyone what we’re working on next. See you in Fahrul!
⚔️IronOak Games
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