Content Summary:
Performance improvements
Visibility improvements
UI changes
Inventory
Pause menu
Controller support improvements
Improved mouse object selection
Dungeon generation logic improvements
New dungeon layouts
Stat and damage balance adjustments
New: Difficulty selection
New: Alex upgrades
New: Final boss
New: Achievements and local achievements
New: Checkpoint
New: Dual one-handed weapons AoE attack
New: Helmet and weapon models
New: Damage over time on the player
New: Meliss sells items
New: Shop NPC animations
Updated: Free talent reset
Updated: Spell power armor and forging
Updated: Stun animation
Updated: Sorcery talents and some melee talents
Updated: Cadwell cannon mechanics
Updated: Monsters
Goblin Summoner
Goblin Melee
Goblin Archer
Skeleton Healer
Skeleton Nova
Skeleton Archer
Skeleton Melee
Removed: Traps
Removed: Treasure Goblin
Performance Improvements
The game's core logic has been almost completely rebuilt to improve performance. We've cleaned up code, assets, models, and a huge amount of leftover content from the previous version. If anyone is interested in the technical details, feel free to contact us, but we're sharing this because we're genuinely proud of the improvements to the project's code quality and overall architecture.
Visibility Improvements
Hidden walls are now much less jarring. Corners and narrow passages have also been revised to make progression feel much more dynamic.
Now only the selected enemy is highlighted with an outline, reducing visual clutter.
Torch flames have been redesigned.
UI Changes
Pausing the game now brings up a more traditional pause menu instead of opening the settings directly. The inventory has also been redesigned with a cleaner and more appealing look. (Yeah... the previous design hurt my eyes a little too. Sorry about that.)
Controller Support Improvements
If you prefer playing with a controller, you're in luck. The entire control logic and gameplay have been improved for controller users. This also includes being able to attack into the air without having a target selected.
Improved Mouse Object Selection
Interaction with the environment has been improved so that the distance calculation previously used no longer prevents looting objects from certain angles.
Dungeon Generation Logic Improvements
Floor-based spawn restrictions have been removed, and the generation logic has been changed to minimize dungeon repetition. Basically, before you encounter dungeon layout X again, every other layout will have appeared first.
Y we continue...
Balance Adjustments:
The health and damage values of both the player and enemies have been thoroughly reviewed.
Forged items now distribute stat points more fairly and accurately across the selected attributes. They will also have more stat points than items found in dungeons. In addition, the highest floor reached is now taken into account so forged items scale with the player's progression.
New Difficulty Selection
A difficulty selection has been added. It can only be chosen when starting a new game and cannot be changed afterward. Easy mode reduces enemy health and damage by 20%. It's ideal for players looking for a more relaxed experience or who are struggling with the current (original) difficulty.
New Dungeon Layouts
The total number of dungeon layouts has increased from 24 to 70.
New Merchant Upgrades
Alex now offers a variety of permanent upgrades in exchange for materials. We've basically moved the "Utility Talents" here. We didn't think spending talent points on trivial things was a fun mechanic, and this also improves the balance of the game's economy. Two birds with one stone :D
New NPC Animations
All NPCs in the resting area now have their own animations. Drall is no longer the favorite.
New Merchant Meliss
Meliss wants to earn some extra money too, so she's decided to expand her inventory instead of selling you just a single book each visit. You'll be able to find spell books, wizard hats, and rings to improve your spell power, but be warned—she's only interested in those kinds of items, so don't try selling her your dirty swords.
New Dual-Wield Combo
The secondary attack while wielding two one-handed weapons is now the same area-of-effect attack used by two-handed weapons, but with reduced damage.
New Achievements
New achievements have been added to highlight key progression milestones. They are now also saved locally, so if you play offline there's no risk of losing the ability to unlock them.
New Equipment
New weapon and helmet models have been added. Variety is always welcome.
New Damage over Time
Enemies can now inflict damage over time on the player (no, they still can't stun you like you can stun them). You can now be affected by Bleeding, Burning, and Poison simultaneously.
New Checkpoint
Starting from a certain floor, a new feature becomes available. You can donate materials in the floor's final room to establish a checkpoint for your next "run." This does not end your current run, but if you return to base (by dying or looting the chest) and start a new run, you'll begin from the floor where you left off.
New Final Boss
The final area has been reworked so that, in addition to defeating what was previously there, you must now face a boss before completing the game.
Miscellaneous Updates:
You can now reset your talent points at any time, free of charge. Don't be afraid to experiment with different builds.
Armor with spell power can now be found. Wizard hats always provide spell power, and Drall can now forge whatever stat you need onto any weapon or armor piece.
The Medic Duck bonus has been updated. Instead of granting one free meal per "run" when your health dropped below 30%, it now provides 10% increased healing power.
Damage calculations that were not being applied correctly have been fixed.
The Stun animation has been updated to make it a bit clearer when an enemy is actually stunned.
Melee and Sorcery talents have been adjusted and reworked.
Cadwell's cannon mechanics have been updated. He will now fire across the entire map, so watch out.
Cadwell's equipable weapon has been updated. Its shots can now inflict Burning (and Poison if you have the corresponding talent).
The sound effect for the enemies' nova attack has been fixed.
The mechanics of the following monsters have been updated:
Goblin Summoner: Now summons one minion every X seconds if it has fewer than 2 summoned. Killing one of its minions damages the summoner.
Goblin Archer: Its rate of fire has been reduced to make it just a little less deadly.
Goblin Melee: Now has a brief stun window after completing its attack combo.
Skeleton Archer: They now have a finite number of arrows. Once they empty their quiver, they'll chase you down and attack in melee. They will still attack in melee if you get close before they've run out of ammunition.
Skeleton Sorcerer: Now alternates between ranged attacks and its nova ability.
Skeleton Tank: Blocking no longer makes it immune to damage, but it still gains significant damage reduction.
Skeleton Healer: The logic for choosing healing targets has been improved. They now heal every X seconds while continuing to attack the player. Multiple healers can no longer heal the same target simultaneously.
Traps have been removed.
The Treasure Goblin has been removed.
New paintings have been added.