Hurray!
1.50b is finally here. This is the big update which we have been working quite hard on. This update is so large we have actually been testing many of the changes on a separate dev branch for anyone who wanted to opt into it. Below I will attempt to recap the most important changes that users should be aware of, however it's very likely that we have missed a few things.
Since so many changes have happened, you will need to rebuild your world as part of that. Since many item changes have occurred, expect that your inventory might look a bit different then when you last were in game. Most old items will stay in your inventory, but they may be less better or worse then they had been before because of old numbers.
Dungeon Overhaul
That is right, all dungeons, Earth, Ice, Primal, and Fire have been completely re-designed. This was possible as we updated the actual dungeon generation engine. There is quite a bit more to experience now and we hope you enjoy the changes.
As a note, each dungeon now is split between two separate sections. This was to give players a bit of refreshing change as they are travelling down the same dungeon, making sure their experience doesn't get stale.
As a note, there is also now a mini-boss that has been added in the earth dungeon between the two sections.
Item Drop Overhaul
This is also a huge change that will affect users. I will try my best to explain why we made these changes and what they are.
Previously, the item drop system worked much like Diablo or Torchlight, where items that would drop would have random properties. We actually have moved away from this in favor of a more socket based system. We did this because we found that in game, especially late game situations the player could become frustrated with finding an item that accurately suited their style of play. The random properties also created a very slow pace of play, as players would constantly need to compare item they pick up which became a tedious task, especially in the old UI. We designed this new system with those ideas in mind.
In the new system, you will still find random item of different rarities. However one rare bow will be exactly the same as another rare bow, except for what level you found it at. Increased rarities mean they are always better, as they will provide more sockets as well as enchantment value (read more below).
Items can now be combined with each other to increase their level. Items can be increased to a total of 10 levels above the level they found the weapon. This means once you find a rare or unique item, you can hold onto that item for longer periods of time without worrying about replacing it.
Sockets have changed slightly.
- You can now add or remove runes at will.
- Items have an enchantment value associated with them. Each rune has an enchant cost that is required to equip. You may not be able to use all the sockets of an item depending on the enchant value costs.
- Items socket now have a color associated with them. When you place a rune of a similar socket color, it will only cost half the enchantment value. So finding the right combination is key to a powerful build.
Runes have also updated
- Runes have a color associated with them. When you place a rune of a similar socket color, it will only cost half the enchantment value. So finding the right combination is key to a powerful build.
- Runes can also be ungraded like items. However runes only go from level 1-10, their property increasing each level.
- There are now three types of rune types, which can only be equipped into certain items. Weapon, Armor and Accessory runes.
As part of the changes to items, the crafting system has been removed. The above system has replaced the main reason for the crafting system to exist, as the main function of the crafting system in previous builds were to provide certain items of a higher level then you might have found. Since the player now has direct control over an item level it has replaced the need for it.
Shield Overahul
Our previous shield system wasn't very good and there wasn't much use to a shield, so we decided to change that. Previously, shield would mitigate a percent of the total damage you took, depending on it's "block value" and the monster level. Now, when you engage your shield, all damage you would normally take goes into the shield! The shield only has so much health however, as you will see indicated by the glowing ring around the character. You can regen your shield's health by simply not using it, and it will regain over time. However, If you use your shield too much and let it complete completely deplete, you will have to wait for 8-10 seconds before being able to use your shield again.
New Enemies / Updated Enemies
As part of the dungeon changes, we have changed around a number of enemies. Below are the new/changed enemies.
New
- Possessed Skull
- King frostwofl
- Queen spider
- Ancient Golem
- Ancient Drone
- Ancient Turret
- Fire Turret
Updated
- Ground Wurm
- Fungus
GUI Overhaul
You will notice this right from when you start the game, as we have redone almost all GUI elements. Now the game can completely be controlled via controller or keyboard. We have also updated the display of the inventory such that you can not only see more items on screen, but also tell more information about them. Not only that, but you can also now drag and drop items into your equip slots, making the keyboard experience much better.
Lighting Engine Change
Last but not least, we have updated the code which handles lighting in the game. Before we used an archaic system that led to some un-desired lighting visuals, as we only stored light values every block on the ground. We have now moved to a differed lighting system, allowing for actual per-pixel lighting of scenes and entities. This has also allowed us to add really interesting lights to certain models that was not previously possible.
Final Notes
As with any update, but especially this one, if you have any issues or encounter any problems please let us know. Either on the community pages or our support e-mail, [email protected].