Hey peakbaggers.
This will be the final patch addressing any major game-breaking parts to the current arsenal of movement tech.
This patch fixes a few game-breaking force techniques as well buffing a few things. This should hopefully make the game more approachable from a speed-running perspective, open up more experimentation with routing, as well as eliminate any tech that would require macros or introduce unwanted wrist pain from performing them.
If you are a casual player, you will not notice these changes other than the buffs to Crampons jumping.
Climbing
- Increased the reach force very slightly on the first reach.
Ice Axes
- Removed the ability to abuse swapping between hands and ice axes to gain extreme vertical force.
- Force is only gained from ice axes when leaving the ground
- Strike force will be significantly lowered when swapping too frequently between hands and ice axes. This will reset when your momentum goes downward, or when you grab on / latch on with ice axes.
- Slightly increased the strike force.
Crampons
- Crampon jumps are back to 3. Since pickswapping and quick-grab techniques are now out of the game, it opens up the possibility of other routes and using crampons for more experimentation. Previously this was too overpowered when combined with the pick-swapping and quick-grab techniques.
- The force given by crampon jumps should feel more consistent across the board.
- The first two crampon jumps are the strongest, the third is slightly diminished, and consecutive jumps are much more diminished - signified by failed crampons sound. The jumps will give a little more force if you are falling, allowing you to save yourself from a nasty fall.
Quick-grab Crampon Limitation
- If you are holding onto a rock for too short a duration and are going too fast, the crampon jump will fail immediately. This prevents abuse from quick-grab tech that existed in previous patch. You'll need to hold a rock for at least 0.2 seconds in order to be able to perform fully functioning crampon jumps.
- The failed crampon limitation from quick-grabs will reset as soon as you grab a hold for longer than 0.2 seconds, or if your momentum slow or moving downwards.
- This limitation does not apply when using ice axes.
These updates should bring back balancing to the overall game, as well as open up more experimentation with routing without having to destroy your wrist learning techniques that would otherwise destroy any other movement techniques on any given map.
Other
- You can now skip dialogue with stationary NPCs on peaks using "Interact".
Bugfixes
- Fixed a bug where you could get more than intended crampon jumps from the ground.
- Fixed a bug where you could set a score on Sundered Sons and Cromlech before the summit.
- Fixed a bug with item collection.
- Fixed a few bugs with chalk.
- Fixed a visual bug with crampons in Free Solo mode.
- Slightly modified Sundered Sons.
- Fixed a bug where you could launch yourself using ropes and slopers.
- Other minor bugfixes.
With these changes more set in stone, hopefully I can spend more time focusing directly on DLC and other content for the foreseeable future.
Patch 1.5.4a
- When using time attack on Solemn Tempest, time, ropes used and holds made will be recorded when quitting using the bivouac, allowing you to continue the time trial run when you next load into the bivouac. Note that ropes placed previously before quitting in the bivouac will not be saved for the next run.
- Fixed a bug with gold items.