EARLY ACCESS STARTS NOW - PATCH NOTES 1.0.0.

Hey everyone!

Today's a big day, not just cause it's the start of ELVERA's Early Access. It's also the peak of an 18-month journey I've been on. I am beyond excited to share with you the official patch notes for version 1.0.0.

When I started this project, my goal was simple: make a game that's not just about fun, but also a tribute to the passion shared by me and tons of gamers out there. We love those worlds where we can lose ourselves, connect with others, and live through ups and downs, all while building friendships.
ELVERA has come a long way from what I first imagined. It's been shaped by dreams and super valuable feedback from early fans. This journey's been full of hurdles and learning, all driven by my dream to make a mark in the gaming world my way. I wanted to offer a totally free-to-play game, no strings attached, as a thank you to the community that's like my second family.

So, here are the patch notes, my way of inviting you to step into ELVERA with me. Your support and excitement are what will drive future updates and big moments.

Now, let's explore the new stuff in ELVERA!

Main Menu: Navigational Hub

• Find Match: A new streamlined match-finding feature is now live. Selecting 'Find Match' automatically searches for open lobbies. If there aren't any available, the system creates a new lobby for you, waiting for others to join you.
• Custom Game: For those who prefer an exclusive battle with friends, the 'Custom Game' option is your go-to. Set up a private match with a unique code that you can share, ensuring your games are just between you and your friends.
• Leaderboard: Competitive spirits here you go! The Leaderboard is there to showcase the highest-rated players in ELVERA. Strive for the top! Visionary Vault: This is where I celebrate you, the community. The Visionary Vault is a tribute to players whose ideas and feedback have helped shape ELVERA. It's a heartfelt thank you to the community and a spotlight on your creativity.
• Settings: Adjust your ELVERA experience in the new and improved 'Settings' menu. Adjust graphics, fine-tune sound levels, and check out key-bindings.

Lobby System: Pre-Match Area

• Waiting Area: The Lobby now serves as a waiting area. Upon arrival, players are represented as skeletons, providing a unique temporary state before the actual character selection for the match begins.
• Early Match Start Vote: I’ve introduced flexibility in match starts. The Lobby System allows for an 'Early Match Start Vote'. With just two players connected, you can propose to begin the match. Enjoy 1v1, 2v2, or other formats as decided by the Lobby's participants. Should the vote not pass, a brief cooldown will occur before another one can be called.
• Character Selection: After gathering enough players, the Lobby transitions players to the Character Selection phase. This is where you'll select the hero you want to take into the upcoming match.
• No-Penalty Exit: Decided that the match isn't for you? Players can leave the Lobby at any time without facing penalties. However, should the host leave, the Lobby will disband, and all players are returned to the Main Menu.
• Host Responsibilities: The Lobby's host now carries additional responsibilities. Operating on a listen-server model, the host will not only initiate votes for early starts but also handle typical server roles.

Character Selection: Selection Strategy

• Pick-Based Order: Selection order is now inspired by classic MOBAs. Upon entering the selection phase, your pick order is randomly assigned, adding an extra strategic layer to team composition.
• Character Roster: A diverse roster awaits. Each character brings unique abilities and a distinct role within the team, encouraging dynamic team combinations.
• Timed Selection: Choices come with a ticking clock. Selections must be made within a set timeframe, or the dodge mechanics activate, canceling the selection process. A penalty is issued for dodging, in the form of rating subtraction, to ensure commitment to the match.
• Penalty System: Not getting your time wasted is a priority; dodging a selection due to last-minute cold feet will result in a rating deduction.
• Preview Abilities: Get to know your hero before the battle. Hover over character abilities for a full breakdown, allowing for informed decision-making before locking in your choice.
• Chat Communication: Teamwork starts here. Use the Team-Chat to strategize your upcoming match or engage with your enemies in All-Chat for some light-hearted banter or psychological warfare.
• Transition to Play: Once all selections are locked in, the battle is set to begin.

Rounds System: Match Progression Framework

• Winning Conditions: Secure match victory by winning 10 rounds, testing your strategy and skill in each match.
• Sides Swap: Balance is key. After 9 rounds, teams will switch sides, ensuring all players have the opportunity to play from each perspective and strategize accordingly.
• Overtime Mechanics: For those nail-biting matches where the score is tied at 9 rounds each, the game will extend into overtime. Here, securing the next round means winning the entire match.
• Round Outcomes: There are multiple ways to claim a round: strategic defense, total elimination of the opposition, or leveraging game-specific mechanics. Victory in ELVERA is not just about firepower, but tactical prowess.
• Round Duration: Each round is a rapid 2-minute showdown, with players respawning at their team-specific locations at the beginning of each new round, keeping the action constant and the pace fast.
• Pre-Match Phase: An extended period before the Round Phase allows players to strategize and gear up. This crucial time is for teams to align on tactics and prepare for the battle ahead.
• Pre-Round Phase: Within this phase, players can make strategic purchases in the Equipment Shop and distribute resources among teammates. This is also the time when Renegades can vote for their Twinbyte decoy strategy.
• Post-Round Phase: After a round ends, the battlefield remains active for a short duration. Utilize this time to search for equipment or seek out any remaining opponents before the next round begins.

Gameplay Map: Battlefield

• Two Teams: Step into the battle as a member of the Renegades or the Faithfuls. Both teams redefine traditional combat roles with innovative gameplay twists that will challenge your strategic thinking.
• Rounds System: Victory in ELVERA requires winning 10 rounds. For fairness and variety, after 9 rounds, teams switch sides, offering fresh perspectives and strategies.
• Strategic Features: Leverage the Equipment Shop, Twinbytes, Anomaly Zones, and Manifestation Events to outmaneuver your opponents. These elements are key to securing an edge in battle.
• Host Responsibility: The host plays a pivotal role in the match's integrity. Should the host leave, the game will be cancelled. It's essential for hosts to remain present to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted gaming experience for everyone.
• Player Penalties: Commitment to the match is taken seriously. Leaving mid-game will result in significant rating penalties, so it's crucial to stay engaged and fight to the end.
• Defeat Management: In the spirit of Early Access, there's an understanding of the learning curve. Thus, there is no rating loss for a defeat in the game. If a match isn't going your way, you have options: try to play it out or propose a surrender. This system is designed to encourage players to focus on learning and enjoying the game without the fear of rating loss.

Characters: Diverse Roster

• Character Variety: ELVERA's battles contain a diverse cast of characters, each bringing their own skills to the table. From raw fighters to strategic supporters, there's a role for every style of play.
• Unique Abilities: Every character is equipped with three distinct abilities: a Primary, a Secondary, and the most impactful — an Ultimate. These abilities are the core of each character's combat style and strategic role on the battlefield.
• Ultimate Ability Access: Ultimate abilities are a game-changer and can be accessed through the Equipment Shop during the pre-round phase. These powerful skills are available for purchase as Enchants, adding a layer of strategy to the resource management aspect of the game.
• Usage and Cooldowns: Skillful management of ability cooldowns is crucial, as there's no restriction on the number of times abilities can be used per round. Mastery over these cooldowns can turn the tide of battle.
• Character Stats: Characters come with individual stats, influencing their role and effectiveness in combat. These stats cover movement speed, attack speed, area of effect, and more, allowing for in-depth strategy and customization.
• No Clones Policy: To ensure a varied and balanced match, each character is unique in any given round. Once a character is selected by a player, no one else can pick that character for the upcoming match, preventing duplicates and encouraging diverse team compositions.

Teams: Strategic Faction Dynamics

• Team Roles: In ELVERA, players will find themselves either part of the Renegades or the Faithfuls. Renegades are typically the aggressors, dictating the pace of battle, while the Faithfuls take on a more defensive role, protecting and holding strategic points.
• Dynamic Gameplay: ELVERA shakes up traditional team roles with objectives that impact each team's approach. Renegades need to balance aggression with objective control, and Faithfuls must defend assertively to maintain an edge.
• Objective Control: Dominance in ELVERA comes from controlling key objectives, which are crucial to the round's outcome. Faithfuls risk defeat by neglecting these, and Renegades face heavy penalties for ignoring them in favor of sheer aggression.
• Team Assignment: To ensure fairness and diversity of play, team assignment occurs randomly during the Character Selection phase, giving everyone the chance to experience both sides of conflict.

Twinbytes: Core Objective

• Objective Impact: Twinbytes are integral to the strategic depth of ELVERA, offering a layer of unpredictability that can decisively alter match outcomes. Their influence cannot be underestimated as they can turn the tide of a game if not managed.
• Twinbyte Mechanics: Each round begins with two Twinbytes in play. The Renegades vote to mark one as a decoy and the other as the real deal, while the Faithfuls must deduce and react without knowing which Twinbyte is which, adding a thrilling mind game to the mix.
• Binary Station: Both Twinbytes aim for a Binary Station target. Should the genuine Twinbyte reach its goal, it detonates, granting the Renegades a round victory and eliminating nearby players. The decoy Twinbyte, however, is harmless upon arrival.
• Faithfuls' Counterplay: The Faithfuls can disrupt the Renegades by sabotaging Twinbytes, requiring careful proximity and interaction. Conversely, Renegades have the capability to repair a compromised Twinbyte, introducing a dynamic push-and-pull to each round.
• Total Destruction: Faithfuls have a strategic choice to obliterate the Twinbytes' Ignition Source within the Renegades' territory, neutralizing both Twinbytes for the rest of the round and preventing any repairs.
• Token Rewards: Players earn Tokens for successful Twinbyte sabotage, repair, or destruction. These Tokens are a valuable currency for purchasing items in the Equipment Shop.
• Movement Speed Variance: The Twinbytes feature variable movement speeds, inviting both teams to constantly adapt their tactics and approaches throughout each round.
• Performance Score: Players' interaction with Twinbytes—be it sabotage, repair, or destruction—affects their end-of-match performance score, making every action with Twinbytes significant.
• How to Interact: Players can engage with Twinbytes using the [Interact] key, ensuring a consistent control scheme across all interactable elements in the game. Whether you're aiming to sabotage or repair a Twinbyte, or even interact with other dynamic objects, the [Interact] key is your go-to for in-game actions.

Manifestations: Swift Random Events

• Dynamic Gameplay: Manifestations introduce spontaneous events within rounds, bringing a unique twist to each match in ELVERA. These events are designed to ensure no two rounds are the same, offering a fresh challenge every time.
• Probability and Occurrence: A Manifestation can occur in any given round with a high chance, but only one event will trigger per round, adding a layer of unpredictability to the strategic mix.
• Duration and Awareness: Typically, a Manifestation lasts between 20 to 30 seconds. Players will be warned of an incoming event through an in-game countdown and announcement, allowing for quick tactical adjustments.
• Events: Most Manifestations affect only those players still standing in the round, but some have the power to transcend death, letting fallen players have a continuing impact on the round's outcome.
• Variety: ELVERA's contains various Manifestations, such as Behemoth's Blessing, which temporarily transforms players into giants, or Final Verdict, a risky event where any hit can be fatal. The health adjustment event, Fortune's Favor, is also tied to the amount of Tokens players hold, directly linking in-game performance to potential event benefits. These events are synchronized with the game's current state, ensuring relevance and integration into the gameplay flow.

Anomaly Zones: Dynamic Environmental Modifiers

• Environmental Impact: Anomaly Zones have been introduced to the battlegrounds of ELVERA as pivotal areas that dynamically shift the flow of gameplay, offering a variety of new strategic approaches for players each round.
• Diverse Effects: The effects of Anomaly Zones are very powerful; they can greatly enhance ability recharge rates, distort time perception, silence abilities, or even impose significant health alterations on players within them.
• Randomized Spawns: The locations of Anomaly Zones are randomized at the start of each round, ensuring that their strategic importance remains unpredictable and that adaptability is key to leveraging their power.
• Varying Numbers: The quantity of Anomaly Zones that appear across the map will vary, with any given round featuring two to five zones. This variability requires teams to continuously adapt their tactics and be prepared for the changing landscape.

Equipment Shop: Arsenal Marketplace

• What it is: The Equipment Shop stands as a crucial element of ELVERA's gameplay ecosystem, providing a diverse arsenal for players to enhance their characters' capabilities and influence the tide of battle.
• Limited Access: The shop is operational exclusively during the pre-round phase, also known as the buy phase. This is the time when players can strategically invest their earned Tokens to gear up for the upcoming round.
• Variety of Items: With an array of weapons, enchantments, and unipacks on offer, the Equipment Shop is the place to acquire significant boosts that can be game-changers in the upcoming conflict.
• Stats Boost: Items purchased from the shop not only come with inherent abilities but also offer the potential to enhance character stats. These enhancements include but are not limited to increased attack damage, extended range, amplified area of effect, and improved mobility.
• How to Open: Accessing the Equipment Shop is straightforward and can be done during the pre-round phase by pressing the key, ensuring players can swiftly make their selections without interrupting their pre-match preparations.

Weapons: Combat Empowerment

• Acquisition: Players can obtain weapons in ELVERA by two primary means: purchasing them with Tokens at the Equipment Shop or picking them up from the battlefield, whether dropped by an ally or enemy.
• Sharing: Emphasizing teamwork, players can drop their weapons to arm their buddies, ensuring that the right tools are in the hands of those who need them most at any given moment.
• Stats Boost: Weaponry in ELVERA is not just for show; each weapon comes with significant boosts to character stats such as attack damage, range, and speed, making it a critical decision.
• Types: The armory contains three main weapon categories: one-handed, two-handed, and ranged (bows), each distinguished by unique attributes and costs that correspond to their combat power.
• Ability Interactions: The game's strategic depth is furthered by the fact that some weapons synergize with certain character abilities, while others may not mesh at all, adding another layer to strategic equipment choices.
• Movement: The selection of weaponry has significant effects on movement speed, compelling players to weigh their desire for heavy firepower against the need for agility and speed.
• Bare Hands: For the purists who prefer up-close and personal combat, engaging enemies with bare hands is a viable—and distinctly ELVERA—style of play.
• How to Drop/Pick Up: Weapons management is pretty intuitive; weapons can be dropped for teammates with the [G] key and picked up with the [F] key, allowing for quick exchanges and looting during the heat of battle.

Enchants: Temporary Power Boosters

• Temporary Boost: Enchants serve as powerful, temporary upgrades available for purchase in the Equipment Shop. They're designed to only last for the duration of the round they're bought in, so plan your strategy and spend wisely as each new round presents a fresh opportunity for enhancement.
• Bonuses: These potent Enchants provide a variety of bonuses that can significantly elevate a player's combat effectiveness. From boosting ability haste to increasing attack and movement speed, each enchant offers a tactical advantage to be exploited during the round.
• Ultimate Ability Enchant: Unlocking a character's ultimate ability for a round hinges on having this particular Enchant. Without it, the ultimate abilities stay locked, so consider it a priority when strategizing for the upcoming round.
• Multiple Purchases: Players are free to purchase more than one Enchant per round, allowing for a multi-layered approach to building power. However, it's essential to manage your Tokens effectively to maximize the potential benefits of these powerful buffs.

Unipacks: Collective Team Enhancements

• Collective Benefit: Unipacks stand out in the Equipment Shop as the go-to items when you're looking to boost the entire team's capabilities. These special items extend their benefits to all team members, but remember, their effects last only for the current round.
• Availability: Each Unipack is designed with team-specific needs in mind, offering tailored advantages that support the distinct playstyles of the Renegades and the Faithfuls. This ensures that each team can leverage Unipacks for their strategic moves.
• Cost: Given their significant impact on team dynamics and round outcomes, Unipacks come at a higher cost compared to individual Enchants. Their price reflects the substantial collective advantage they provide.
• Example: Take the Seeker Unipack for the Renegades, for instance—when deployed, it summons entities that hunt and stun enemies, providing a critical advantage, especially after the Renegades' Ignition Source is destroyed.

Text Chat: Direct Team Coordination

• Lobby Chat: The Lobby chat is a shared space where all players can interact before teams are finalized. It's the perfect opportunity to discuss strategies or simply get to know your upcoming teammates and opponents.
• Team and All Chat Modes: After teams are formed, players can switch between Team-only or All-chat. This allows for focused team coordination or friendly banter with the enemy.
• Versatility: ELVERA's Text Chat goes beyond standard communication; it supports quick action commands for efficiency, such as the surrender command (/FF) among others, streamlining certain in-game communications.
• Game System Updates: Text Chat is not just for player interaction. It's also utilized for delivering game system updates, such as alerting players to objective statuses, team member disconnects, or celebrating player achievements like killstreaks, keeping everyone informed in real-time.
• How to Open: Engaging with Text Chat is straightforward—players can bring up the chat window using the [ENTER] key and easily toggle between chat modes with simple /all or /team commands.

Voice Chat: Live Team Interaction

• Team-Exclusive Communication: Voice chat in ELVERA is designed to be team-exclusive, ensuring clear and secure lines of communication. This setup guarantees that strategies and calls are kept within the team, maintaining the element of surprise against opponents.
• Availability and Accessibility: Voice chat is accessible on the main game map and initiates automatically, connecting players as soon as the loading screen concludes. The current connection status is displayed in the user interface for easy monitoring.
• Reconnection: Should players encounter any voice chat disconnects due to connectivity issues, a simple reconnection can be initiated within the game's user interface, allowing for quick resolution and return to team coordination.
• Participation Control: Players have full autonomy over their participation in voice chat, with the option to disconnect at any time. This feature is essential for maintaining a comfortable and respectful gaming environment for all.
• Technology and Limitations: The voice chat service is powered by Odin Voice Chat services under a basic license. This may impose certain limitations on the number of concurrent users, which could impact the stability of the connection for larger teams or during peak hours.
• How to Talk: Engaging with your team via voice chat is straightforward—players can activate their microphone by pressing the [V] key on their keyboard, facilitating real-time tactical discussions and snap decision-making during gameplay.

Pings: Non-Verbal Communication System

• Rapid Communication: Pings in ELVERA are optimized for quick and efficient non-verbal communication, allowing players to share important information instantly without the need for voice or text chat.
• Visual and Audio Cues: To grab the attention of teammates effectively, pings are paired with distinct visual indicators and audio signals. This dual notification system ensures that messages are noticed promptly in the heat of the action.
• Spam Prevention: The game has integrated measures to prevent ping spamming. There's a regulated cooldown on how frequently pings can be utilized to maintain clarity and avoid cluttering the gameplay experience with excessive notifications.
• How to Use: Accessing and using pings is user-friendly. Players can review all available pings and their specific key-bindings either through the Settings and Controls in the Main Menu or via the Quick Menu (ESC) during a match. For example, if you need immediate assistance, you can use the 'Help!' ping, which is triggered by the [Y] key. This action marks your location in the game world, showing up both on the minimap and in the 3D environment to aid your teammates in locating you quickly.

Players Scoreboard: Performance Tracking Panel

• Comprehensive Overview: The Players Scoreboard in ELVERA is the central hub for monitoring in-game performance metrics. It provides players with a detailed summary of individual and team performance, crucial for strategic planning.
• Key Metrics: The scoreboard encompasses vital data points including Kill-Death-Assist (KDA) ratio, the current weapon in use, network response times, available tokens for purchases, player names, and indicators for ultimate ability availibility, among others.
• Live Updates: In the fast-paced environment of ELVERA, the scoreboard is dynamically updated in real-time, reflecting changes in player stats immediately as they happen during the game.
• How to Access: Viewing the scoreboard is just a keystroke away. Players can bring up this detailed performance panel at any time during a match by pressing the [TAB] key, allowing for quick checks without distracting from the gameplay.

Gestures: Funny In-Game Expressions

• Introduction: Gestures in ELVERA add a playful and engaging element to the game, providing players with a range of animations to express themselves, share a laugh, or celebrate with teammates. These gestures are designed for use during specific moments in a match to enhance the fun without impacting the main gameplay.
• Accessing Gestures: Players can access the Gestures menu in two ways: by typing a chat command during the pre-round or post-round phases, or by clicking an on-screen button that appears in these non-competitive phases.
• Using Gestures: To use a gesture, players select their animation of choice from the Gestures UI and perform it in-game with the [H] key. Changing gestures is just as easy—open the UI, pick a new animation, and hit [H] to display your character's latest move.
• Design Philosophy: The Gestures in ELVERA are intentionally over-the-top and quirky. They're crafted to be exaggerated and a bit on the goofy side, adding a distinct charm and a unique way for players to interact with each other within the game world.
• Gameplay Integration: Gestures are seamlessly implemented into the game flow, ensuring they don't interrupt gameplay. They are available exclusively during the non-competitive phases of the match, such as the pre-round and post-round times, providing entertainment and a way for players to express themselves without affecting the match's outcome.

And that’s it! There are plenty more changes, but sadly, I cannot fit it all in here, so go check it out yourself!

Oh, and tonight at 6 PM CET, once the game releases, I will be live on my Twitch channel where I'll be hosting the first-ever stream. Come hang out with me. Let's dive into this journey together – play, chat, and just do whatever we will feel like doing.

Twitch Link Here

Catch you at 6 PM CET!

Muska out!