Ave Patronus,
Today, we proudly present you our first major early access update “Masters of the Arena”.
Aside from tons of fixes, small adjustments and balancing changes, this update consists of three main features:
1) Difficulty Modes
Since the early access launch, we received a lot of feedback regarding the game’s difficulty.
Players did especially not enjoy what felt like arbitrary punishment.The biggest offenders in that regard were addressed by tuning down the City Events and Trauma Systems in our early updates.
Since then, the feedback varies widely - from players that feel overwhelmed to those that are all but bored. To provide players a closer match of the challenge they are looking for, we implemented three difficulty modes: Initiate, Warrior and Champion.
When deciding on the factors and variations for each mode, we closely examined the systems that seem to be a point of contention with most players. Aiming to preserve the impact of individual decisions and rewarding well considered strategies.
Warrior players will face the challenge the game was designed around: Balanced, but with the occasional spoke put in their wheel and some creative problem-solving required.
Novice players will have significantly less moments of frustration to deal with and an easier time to recover from setbacks.
Champions must prove their prowess in every regard. Every choice matters, every mistake is punished - but the gratification will be glorious.
Like many elements of our game, these modes especially will be constantly (re)balanced and adjusted throughout our early access period. So please, give us feedback and let us know if you feel appropriately challenged.
2) Arena Variation
We got a lot of feedback that despite their unique enemies and traps, fights feel fairly similar across the game. We heard you and came up with a couple of twists to spice up our proving grounds.
Arena size will now scale with the size of the team selected for a challenge. Growing from the well-known 8 x 8 tiles to 10 x 10 and even 12 x 12. This demands some tactical reconsiderations and offers ample space for new strategic maneuvers from the mid game onward.
Additionally, we set the Colosseum's arena to always be 10 x 10, making it feel more distinct for the most part of the game.
But size alone is not what makes an arena interesting - it’s the dangers that lurk within it.
That’s why we added a total of 14 unique arena obstacles across the ages that will hurt - and sometimes heal - your Gladiators in new and interesting ways.
3) 3D Camera
To experience the full glory of our valorized arenas, we also gave our camera system an overhaul.
You can now rotate the camera in 90-degree steps to enjoy the full 360 degrees of the battlegrounds and make sure that nothing escapes your eager eyes.
We also gave the camera an auto focus that will pan it to wherever the action is. You can adjust this feature including the camera’s move speed in the gameplay settings.
Vale, Patronus!
Daedalic Entertainment & Exordium Games
Detailed Change Log
Features
Updated Camera System
The Camera can now be rotated around the Arena.
We adjusted the gamepad controls and added hotkeys to the keyboard layout.
Camera
The Camera will now follow the action (i.e. movement and abilities).
This behaviour can be turned off in the game settings.
Expanded Arena System
Arena Sizes
Arena sizes now vary, based on the number of Gladiators chosen for a Challenge.
1, 2 and 3 Gladiators: 8 x 8 grid
4 Gladiators: 10 x 10 grid
5 Gladiators: 12 x 12 grid
(This does not apply to the final Boss Challenge)
New Difficulty Modes
Difficulty
When starting a new game, players can now choose from three difficulty modes:
Initiate, Warrior and Champion
Difficulty
The number of Arena Modifiers in a Challenge is now based on the Difficulty
Difficulty
Adjusted Battle Nodes (steps in a Challenge) based on the Difficulty
Adjusted several building's functionality based on the Difficulty
Difficulty
The Load Game Menu now displays the save game's difficulty level.
New Obstacle: Healing Fountain
Heals 5% of Max Health to nearby units every 3 turns
New Obstacle: Arachnii Obelisk
Inflicts 3 stacks of Poison to surrounding units every 3 turns
New Obstacle: Jungle's Grasp
Fires a projectile in all 4 directions every 3 turns. The projectile applies Status Snare to the first unit it hits.
New Obstacle: Sacred Tree
Removes all stacks of a random negative Status from all units in a pattern around it every 3 turns
New Obstacle: Mystic Orb
Fires a projectile in all 4 directions every 3 turns. The projectile pulls the first unit up to 3 spaces towards the pillar and applies Status Slow.
New Obstacle: Pillar Of Pain
Applies Status Caltrops to 3 random grid tiles within a pattern every 3 turns
New Obstacle: Sphinx
Fires a projectile in one direction every 3 turns, then rotates by 90 degrees. The projectile deals damage to the first object hit.
New Obstacle: Rotating Blades
Fires in one direction every 3 turns, then rotates by 180 degrees. Damages and applies Status Bleed to all units in the line of fire.
New Obstacle: Battle Cache
Creates a random Favor on each empty Tile in a pattern around it when destroyed.
New Obstacle: Hornet Nest
Apply Status Bleed and Status Malady to units in a pattern every couple of turns.
New Obstacle: Guardian Idol
Applies Status Guard to units in a pattern every couple of turns.
New Obstacle: Wrath Idol
Applies Status Strong and Status Vulnerable to units in a pattern every couple of turns.
New Obstacle: Forsaken Idol
Applies Status Weak to all ally units every couple of turns
New Obstacle: Fractured Pillar
A damaged pillar that can be destroyed with enough force.
Fixes
Ability: Bad Influence (Caligo Class)
If an enemy unit controlled with the ability collects the Gold Favor, the amount is now correctly added to the rewards.
Achievements
Fixed an issue that could result in achievements not being properly registered
Arena
Grid tile effects that provide a buff no longer stop movement when stepped on.
Applies to Blessed Ground and Smoke Shroud
Arena
Enemy Gladiators that can be ... "convinced" to join your team after battle now display the indicator "Recruitable."
Building: Academy
When changing a Gladiator's equipped abilities, the selection now persists until Training is completed or cancelled. Previously, most interactions caused the selection to reset.
Building: Academy
Ability tooltips now show accurate damage values based on the Gladiator's current stats.
Previously only the ability's default value was displayed.
Building: Colosseum
Colosseum battles now always use a 10 x 10 tile arena
Building: Forum
The list of Patron quests now updates immediately upon claiming a completed quest, as intended.
Building: Quarters
Added a button to unequip all items from all Gladiators that are not selected for the Challenge team
Building: Town Hall
When the upgrade buttons show "Max level reached", they now display a tooltip to indicate if the limitation is temporary.
City
Gladiator Traits that prevent Gladiators from gaining Status Effects (positive or negative) now only apply in Battle, as intended. Previously they could also affect the Remedy stage of Challenges or City Events.
City
Added an indicator for active Patron Quests to the trackers on the right side of the City view
City Events
Statuses that don't persist between battles are now saved correctly, when applied by a City Event.
City Event: Ill Omen
Removed one of the two identical options.
Having two identical choices was intended as a joke but ultimately only caused confusion.
The experience of having effectively no choice is now streamlined.
Forum Quests
Quests Sandpainter, Green Conqueror, Griever which require defeated enemies in specific arenas now count all enemies.
Previously only counted enemies specific to that area.
Gamepad
Navigation during Battle was adjusted to accommodate for the new buttons introduced with the Camera Rotation feature
Menu
The Load Game menu now displays progress (Age) and difficulty.
Menu
The "Continue" button in the main menu will now load the newest overall safe game.
Previously the first save game in the list was loaded - which usually is the most recently started campaign.
Trauma System
Critical hits now only have a chance to apply a Trauma when the attacked Gladiator's HP have been reduced.
Critical damage that only reduces Armor points can no longer apply Traumas.
Trap: Metal Spikes
Abilities that teleport Gladiators and/or Enemies onto the trap when the spikes are out now trigger damage correctly.
- Switch Hit (Arcum Class)
- Spirit Shift (Vespis Class)
- Glacial Shift (Ehalibra - The Spine Boss)"
Tooltips: Unlimited range of an ability is now indicated with "MAX".
Previously a high static number was displayed.
Tutorial
Added a step to explain the Status and Trauma system.
Tutorial
Added a tutorial for grid objects with a countdown