The release of Specimen One introduced a new system that we’re finally ready to present to everyone!
There are several key changes that we want to highlight.
Hub Progression
We’ve remade the hub progression, only leaving fun and meaningful upgrades that would make your runs more interesting. Because of such a massive change we’re going to refund all the points for the previous upgrades with some adjustments due to the size of the upgrade table.
Run Progression
The progression on the game map was streamlined due to the changes in the reward drops. We wanted to make sure that players always have a choice and would try more challenging maps for a better chance of reward.
Mutation Table
When changing mutation table we wanted to make sure that our puzzle-like DNA progression will make the run progression fun and meaningful.
You will be using three things during your run progression:
Mutations
Mutations are your awesome skills that change your gameplay depending on what you pick. Decoys, explosions, giant boomerangs and more.
Strands
These blank hexagonal connections will help you reach different traits and give you more freedom of choosing where to go.
Traits
Previously known as alterations, these were remade as Traits that grant different effects. They exist to help you fine-tune your build during the run. To activate the traits you need to place Mutation or Strand near it and then it will open more alterations around it! Duplicate Traits improve the overall effects.
Roguelite progression inside roguelite!
Reward Drops
The entire drop system was overhauled to better fit the systems higher.
Cells
This is the currency you can use in shops.
DNA
This is used to upgrade everything in the Hub.
Virus Samples
This is used to open new droppable Mutations.
Additionally rooms can drop blanks (with certain upgrades affecting the rate) and in rare cases mutations.
The most important - you can now quit the game during the run and return from where you’ve ended.
So that’s it! Have fun in Deflector and don’t forget to leave your feedback about the new systems!
Here is the full patchnote:
New features
New DNA unlocks
- Almost all DNA unlocks have been re-done in order to be more useful during the game. Cost has been balanced so it does not take really long to unlock them. New Traits (previously alterations)
- Traits have been re-done in order to grant effects that allows you to fine-tune your build.
- The more duplicate Traits you activate the more powerful they become. Strands added as a rewards
- Strands act as a blank mutation, as they can be placed in the DNA table in order to reach other traits, but do not have any other effect. New DNA table system
- New DNA table, together with the new reward system, allows for more customization based on the traits selected. Which lets you create different build styles based on how you place everything inside it.
- Table now always starts with four random initial traits. And when a trait is activated, two new traits appear close to that one (three with the upgrade). New map progression
- Map scheme has been remade in order to make the player’s choice more meaningful.
- Paths now will have several nodes in a row, so choosing your path will play a bigger role now.
New drop and reward system
- Reward system has been completely re-done in order to avoid choosing between “short-term fun” and “long-term efficiency” and increasing “reward vs risk” decisions.
- Only mutations are now shown on the map.
- Cells drop in all rooms. Quantity increased in harder arenas.
- DNA now has a chance to be dropped when killing enemies. Chance increased in harder arenas.
- Virus samples always drop in elite rooms and after defeating a world boss.
- Mutations now drop in a random arena in one of the paths. Usually they appear on the more challenging routes.
- Strands drop randomly in any combat room where a mutation is not dropped. Chance increases with the challenges attached to the arenas.
- Health orbs no longer drops but you can get more health through traits. We may add certain other ways to drop health later.
- A shop now can always be found in quest rooms.
- Dispenser added to shops. Dispenser allows you to buy unlimited amount of strands. Added new nodes on the map:
- Safe point: you can restore health and sometimes meet interesting NPCs, so keep a close eye on this room in future updates.
- Survival: You will need to survive waves of enemies until the timer runs out.
Other:
- Slasher costume for Specimen One added.
- New slasher skin is available for any player who reached 100 viruses killed in the Last Stand room in Specimen One demo.
- Mutation tooltips. Every time you get a duplicate mutation you’ll get a special message saying it.
- Preview Mutations in shop. Mutation orbs that you buy in shop will have the picture of the mutation inside the orb.
- Shops before the boss added. Completing the quest “The Prisoner” unlocks the pre-boss shop.
- Tutorial has been remade with new enemies and map.
- Steam achievements added
- Challenge arenas has been removed. Anomalies can appear now randomly in every combat arena.
- Improved character collision deteaction.
- Saps quest is redone and now serves as an introduction to the quest system.
- Anomaly challenge “Wounded” is temporarily removed from the game.
- Arena challenges is now scaling better with the progression.
- Shops can now be interacted from all sides
- Oogles is no longer in the room when you are dropped, and lands a few seconds after.
- Heal amount is now displayed when the player heals from any healing source.
- Health orbs, DNA orbs, Virus orbs and Cell obss no longer can be purchased on shops.
- SFX no longer keep playing after ending the run.
- Active VFX now scales correctly with all resolutions
- Poison effect no longer blinks when passing over a rift in the ground in Toxic Sea.
Balance
Quests - Quests have been balanced to make them easier to complete
- The egg: Hits needed for the egg to break increased 5 > 8
- Treasure island: Dodge challenge in Magnetic Field rounds reduced. And now it can be retried as many times as you want in a single run, but bullet damage is increased 1 > 10
Specimens
Eradicator
- Deflect damage increased: 30 > 50 BETA
- Boomerang range increased: 9u > 10u
- Size percentage increase per deflect increased: 17% > 20%
Slasher
- Can now cut attack animation to deflect faster
- Deflect duration reduced: 0,3s > 0,25s
- Active range increased: 15u > 20u ALPHA
- Active damage per hit reduced: 200 > 100
- Third hit damage multiplier reduced: x1,8 > x1,5 BETA
- Damage reduced: 100 > 80
- Active damage per hit reduced: 160> 100
- Horizontal wave damage multiplier increased: x1 > x1,5
- Wave damage increased: 60 > 80 GAMMA:
- Damage increased: 60 > 70
- Active damage per hit reduced: 200 > 100
- Third hit damage multiplier reduced: x1,6 > x1,5
Gunslinger
- Health reduced: 100 > 80
- Shoot rate with no energy increased. ALPHA:
- Gun energy cost reduced: 5>4 BETA:
- Damage increased: 65 > 80
- Dispersion angle reduced: 20 > 10 GAMMA:
- Damage increased: 65
Spark
ALPHA - Initial orbs increased: 1 > 3
- Damage increased: 50 > 100
- Active range increased: 5u > 6u
- Active damage increased: 65 > 80 BETA
- Damage increased: 50 > 60
- Active range increased: 4u > 6u GAMMA
- Maximum damage increased: 290> 320
Mutations
- Shield bullets: Shield second duration increased: 1 > 2
- Laser beam: Increased damage: 30 > 150
- Homing laser: Increased damage: 60 > 100
- Tesla orb: DPS reduced 50 > 45 , duration reduced 5s > 3,5s
- Deflect burst: Range reduced: 8u > 7u
- Deflect zone: Damage increased 50 > 80
- Minefield: Damage increased: 50 > 120, and range reduced: 5u > 4u
- Explosive metabolism: Range increased: 3u > 5u
- Body guard: Duration increased: 2s > 3,5s
- Decoy: Duration increased: 3s > 5s
- Electric storm: Duration increased: 5s > 10s , Deflect ray increased: 150 > 200
- Walking Tesla Coil: Damage increased: 40 > 60
- Bone claw: Damage increased : 20 > 50
- Bones from above: Speed reduced and damage increased: 150 > 350
- Long barrel: Damage increased: 40 > 80
- Energy wave: Damage increased: 50> 100, chance reduced 50% > 25%
- Guided projectiles: Damage increased 100 > 200. Amount of projectiles increased : 3 > 6
- Protective dome: Dome duration increased: 3s > 5s
- Projectile storm: Damage increased 100 > 125
- Spiral strike: Range increased 4u > 5u
- Deflecting wave: Waves reduced 3 > 2
- Clean zone: Damage increased 10 > 50 Size increment duration increased : 3s > 5s
- Deflective swiftness: Bullets required reduced 4 > 3
- Fast dash: Time reduction decreased: 50% > 33%