Introducing A Public Test Branch - A Sneak Peek Ahead!

14 Dec 2023Developer post

Source: Steam Community (opens in a new tab)

Greetings, Inmates!

How have you been? We hope you have been enjoying the new features in our last major update so far. Today, we're bringing you not just one, but two exciting pieces of news that you won't want to miss!

Exclusive 10% Discount!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1735700/Back_to_the_Dawn/

First off, from December 13 - 20, we’re offering Back to the Dawn at a special 10% discount! If you've been eyeing this gripping prison survival adventure, now's the perfect time to take the plunge. And hey, why not spread the joy by recommending it to a friend? Dive into the intense, survival-focused world of Back to the Dawn and discover what lies within, all while saving a bit on your purchase.

New Public opentest Branch!

Next, we’re thrilled to introduce a new Back to the Dawn opentest branch on Steam for you to try out! This is your chance to get an early peek at the latest developments, which includes an array of new features from enhanced accessibility options to expanded gameplay elements.

How to Access the opentest Branch:

In your Steam library, right-click on Back to the Dawn and click on “Properties”.
In the Properties window, select "Betas", and under the “Beta Participation” dropdown menu, select “opentest” to opt in, and you are good to go!
The game should shortly update itself after, and the game should display as “Back to the Dawn [opentest]” in your Steam Library. That’s how you know that you have successfully opted in! If you’d like to swap back to the original game, simply go through the same steps as above and select “None”.

Opentest Branch Guidelines

Please note that the opentest branch is meant for early experimental testing, and the content might be adjusted along the way. Because of this, you might experience some bugs as well. But if you do, please let us know through our bug report form! Or if you have more feedback and suggestions for us, do let us know through the Steam Community discussions.
We'll do our best to ensure save file compatibility between the opentest and the standard branch. However, just in case, we recommend backing up your save files before switching to the opentest branch. You can find your save files here: C:\Users\XXX\AppData\LocalLow\MetalHeadGames\Back To The Dawn (Replace XXX with your user folder name).
If you choose to stay in the default branch, that's okay too! We will eventually push the latest and the most stable version to the main game after a thorough quality assurance check.

Key Features and Optimizations in the opentest Branch

Expanded walkable area in the sewer. Thomas can now freely move and change equipment after climbing out of the pipe.
Added a new debuff: Accumulating smell from rummaging through trash affects charm value.
Added a new debuff when facing the Crab Monster. Equip Amulet to unlock a new battle move “Steadfast Will”: Pray against the monster to deal damage equal to the roll results and recover equal health.
New operational guides in the skills page for stealing and extortion.
New interaction options with the boxing manager, TV manager, and bank manager.
Attribute tooltips now show maximum health and stamina for Strength, dodge chance for Agility, and critical hit chance for Intelligence.
Added an option to delegate weightlifting to Thomas after three manual attempts.
Reduced trust gain for befriending gang members from 10 to 8 points. Gain 2 trust points for meeting a gang prisoner.
Weakened the negative effect of Gluttony: Changed from a chance to reduce 2 satiety points to reducing 5 mentality points when Hungry.
Added a sorting function in the cabinet: New "Sort" button at the top left corner.
Included a fast travel function between the first and second floor of the cell block.
Added “Crafting Master” skill effect for solving puzzle games.
Guided prompt for buying blankets.
Sewer circuit repair can now be handled by Thomas after one failure.
Additional guide for Gliding escape route.
Added extra effect for “Police Uniform” armor: Opponents cannot deal critical hits to you.
Reduced morale recovery effect of the Walkman, now provides additional charm experience per hour when turned on. Walkman automatically turns off when sleeping.
New restriction on diarrhea medicine use: Cannot self-administer when in “Low Health”.
You can apply to the guard for permission to go to the infirmary with the "Weak Body" status.
Skip function for specific plot scenes: Phone call with Red, riot start scene, counting days in roll call animation, TV station entrance animation.
Added special state “Potential Unleashed” for Pickman during the riot, enhancing his strength.
New dialogue with Maggie during Honey Festival.
Additional bargaining function for “Calculator”: Thomas can now bargain when shopping, costing 5 energy.
Adjusted effect of “Mint Leaf”, “Mint Roll”, and “Fine Leaf Roll”: Health reduction is now cumulative based on daily usage of these items.
Optimized the interaction with room items during a lockdown: Single cells do not require Sam's help to leave during the day.
Added a trait where nearby fitness enthusiasts increase their favorability when you lift weights 10 times.
Added new spectator interactions for tabletop games.
Added a color vision assistance feature.
Added new evening entertainment interactions on the second floor of the prison. You can “Play cards with Old Lee”, “Assist Phil in card gambling”, “Assist Lin in card gambling”, “Play tumbling tower with Crunchy”, “Play five finger fillets with Max”.
Improved unlocking interaction for dismantling the sewer wooden board.
Adjusted prisoner positions in roll call scenes for more accurate representation.
Added fast-forward and real-time play buttons for watching boxing matches, along with a real-time information button.
Added “Max” and “Min” quick selection buttons in the purchase item list.
Default movement for Thomas changed to running, hold shift to walk.
Added computer games in the comprehensive building and a preview option for the e-book “Time Crosser”.
Increased experience gain for roofing work: 30 experience points per task completion.
Optimized the experience gained for mini-games while working.
Optimized some plot scenes and dialogues in the sewer area.
Reduced listening time: From 5 minutes to 2 minutes.
Lowered base difficulty for the “Framing Bag” task, but added a new roll debuff “Nearby Eyes”: Minus 1 point for each nearby prisoner.
Added task mode hints in the task targets for beating Diego the Alpaca and Wilber the Goat.
Added clue hints for collecting fingerprint film in task targets.

Skill Optimizations

Updated the skill “Investment Expert” of Platypus Terry: Cash on hand increases by 5% every morning, with an additional 1% increase per Intelligence point.
New effect for “Street Self-Defense 50 Moves”: No health loss if victorious in a fight.
New skill “Round Up”: If the cumulative roll result is within 5 points of the maximum, it will be considered a completion.
Hippo Frank’s talent move “Assassinate” now deals “full” damage.
“Welcome to Hawkins” gains an extra effect: 20% increased damage to “Monsters”.
New effect for the skill of Horse Ray in trading with other prisoners: Reduce favorability requirement by 2 points for each point of Charm.
Enhanced “War Correspondent” talent armor “Thick Fur” with an extra effect: No health loss for sleeping without a blanket at night.
Enhanced “Failure Scientist” skill: Double experience gain on failed roll challenges, and quintuple experience for critical failures.
Enhanced Miguel the Tapir's skill “Reverse Hypnosis”: Nightmares bring additional abilities.
New skill “Bookworm”: Preview book skills and reading actions no longer consume energy.
Added new abilities to “Game Manual” and “TV Program Guide” book skills: Preview skills of games and TV shows.
“Insect Farm” skill gains a minimum guarantee mechanism: If no gold beetles are found in 6 plant piles, the next pile will definitely have one.

Quest Adjustments

Extended the deadlines of certain quests:
- “Two Ribs” completion deadline extended to 2 days.
- “Door-to-Door Delivery” and “Friendly Reminder” extended to 3 days.
- “Chameleon” completion deadline extended to 10 days.
Added a new task category “Escape”, separating escape-related side tasks.

Bug Fixes

Now let’s talk about some bug fixes we’ve done!

Fixed an incorrect dialogue after Bruce is demoted on the 21st morning roll call.
Fixed an issue where newly unlocked items required reopening the page to reflect the updated favorability.
Fixed trading transaction confirmation popup not appearing when trading with other prisoners.
Fixed discrepancies in certain eavesdropping content afterthe riot.
Fixed an issue where wearing rubber gloves would revert damage status from broken to worn.
Fixed an issue where prisoners in area A did not gather to watch the hanged man event.
Fixed an error in selecting difficulty for new players.

That wraps up today's update! If you have additional feedback or suggestions, feel free to reach out to us through the Steam Community discussions. Your feedback and support are the driving forces behind our dedication, and it is our guiding star as we continuously work to improve the game.