We’re excited to announce that this update introduces a new game mode, Wild Mode, to Wool at the Gates. More details below!
This patch also includes various balance changes and bug fixes. In addition, Wool at the Gates will be 30% off during the Steam Winter Sale.
Here’s everything included in this update:
Wild Mode
Wild Mode is a new game mode where every run is different. You’ll play on a random map with a randomized hero, enemies, and perks. Each time you survive a run, you unlock a harder version of Wild Mode featuring stronger enemies, longer runs, random starting perks, and more starting gold.
While the campaign is about having full control over your strategy and overcoming predefined challenges, Wild Mode is designed to force you to try new strategies and adapt to survive.
Game Mode Details
Each run starts with a random hero on a random map. You do not need to have that hero or map unlocked in the Campaign to play it in Wild Mode. You can generate a new run to change your starting hero, map, and perks.
Maps use different color schemes than the ones they use in the campaign.
All rounds of enemies are randomly generated. Enemies from throughout the Campaign can appear on any map in Wild Mode.
Uses a new random perk menu that presents the player with 3 random perks for the faction each time the player earns a faction perk. All perks are available in Wild Mode regardless of whether they have been unlocked in the campaign.
The base difficulty has standard-difficulty enemies for 10 rounds. Each successful run unlocks a higher difficulty tier (Wild Run +) with
+2 rounds
Increased enemy count, health, and damage
A bonus starting perk
Additional starting gold
There are no challenges or modifiers in Wild Mode. The focus is purely on surviving the unpredictability of each run.
You earn Wool for completed rounds and can level up your account. Troops, Towers, and Class bonuses unlocked through leveling are available in both Wild Mode and the Campaign.
Maps and heroes can only be unlocked by playing the Campaign.
New achievements have been added for:
Beating Wild Mode with 18+ points in each class
Beating Wild Mode with 90+ points in each faction
Completing Wild Run, Wild Run +1, and Wild Run +5
Major Balance Changes
Focused Class Bonuses
We’ve updated how class bonuses are selected and upgraded.
Previously, every time you earned a class point, the class bonus menu would appear and allow you to level up any of the 3 class bonuses, as long as they weren’t locked or already at max level. This made it easy to spread points across all bonuses, reducing the need to commit to a specific build or make meaningful decisions.
With the new system, you now choose an initial class bonus for each class. As you earn additional class points for that class, your selected bonus will automatically level up until it reaches its max level. Only after all your existing bonuses for that class are maxed out will you be able to select a new class bonus to learn and begin upgrading.
We believe this change makes class progression more engaging and encourages players to think carefully about which class bonuses best support their strategy for each run.
This change is technically compatible with saves from previous versions. If you earn a new class point while playing on an older save, the game will automatically level up your existing class bonuses before allowing you to select a new one.
Duplicate Build Cost Penalty Reduced to 1 Gold
One of Wool at the Gates' most controversial design decisions is that the cost of a troop or tower increases by 2 gold each time you build a duplicate of that type. We made this decision because we knew the strongest build would almost always be to spam the same type of troop or tower.
However, increasing the cost by 2 gold was too extreme and instead forces players to build as many different things as possible to avoid wasting their gold. We’ve now reduced the duplicate build cost penalty to 1 gold, and after a lot of playtesting, we think its a great change that lets players center their build around certain types of troops or towers, but still gives some incentive to have variety in how they build their city.
Monument Faction Points Buff
Monuments now give 5 base faction points when built (previously it was only 1). Before this change, Towers were often a better option for earning faction points because they give 5 faction points while costing the same amount of gold as Monuments and also provide defense to your city. Now Monuments are the most efficient way to earn faction points, which was always the goal of their design.
Other Balance Changes
Sentinel health increased from 100 to 120.
Tauro damage decreased from 7 to 6 and damage against HQ reduced from -50% to -70%.
Boomers now do 50% reduced damage to troops.
Undying Tower now requires fewer nearby enemy deaths so spawn a Summoned.
Other Changes
Simple Minded Orc Perk reworked. Now gives each tower or troop type 4% more health and damage per duplicate of that specific type built.
Menus / UI
New Mode Select Menu added to select between Campaign and Wild Mode.
New Wild Mode config menu to select your Wild Run difficulty for Wild Mode.
Smoothed animations when changing map previews in Campaign map select.
Unlocks button moved to top bar and can be opened at any time (including via controller button prompt).
Improved menu and UI design throughout the game.
Menu click volume reduced to be less obnoxious.
Removed redundant click sounds that would play when navigating the UI with the mouse.
Challenges tip no longer prompts player to unlock content in the shop.
Training grounds no longer allows you to buy a class point if you have maxed out the class.
Player Hero Select UI now opens with correct size instead of awkwardly snapping to the correct size after opening.
Vsync is now enabled by default in the launch disclaimer menu and uses the player’s saved settings when entering the main menu.
Enemy previews now show after you spawn your hero.
Troops now face the camera after loading a save or reloading.
Bug Fixes
Ranged enemies will now attack broken walls to prevent themselves from getting stuck on the wall.
Eye Form Blink ability cooldown no longer fails to trigger.
Rogue Crit VFX now only play when the attack hits, not when it is executed.
Removed floating broken UI inside of Tempest Tower.
Smite now works properly when given to Summoned via the Summoner Imprint bonus.
Tutorial now always launches using Standard difficulty.
Fixed round number tooltip in endless when viewing next rounds gold / XP generation in the UI.
Shrine building tooltip now properly says that it gives XP each round, not Gold.
Shaman curse no longer sometimes causes an error that can break other system like hero abilities.
Shaman curse no longer clears when the casting Shaman dies.
Melee troops no longer sometimes chase flying enemies.
Fixed melee troop error that would sometimes prevent them from reinforcing allies that were under attack.
Flying enemies no longer fall through the ground if they spawn near a terrain cliff.
Undying tower no longer shows its special effect range as red if a solitary tower at the same location would have had its damage bonus be inactive.
Fixed bug where vengeance tower couldn’t be selected via controller or keyboard in the tower build menu.
Fixed missing text for Fire Archers in the troop filter menu.
Upcoming Price Increase
As indicated on our store page, we plan to increase the price of Wool at the Gates as we update it with more content and features. The Steam Winter Sale will give everyone a chance to pickup the game at it's cheapest price yet, but after the sale we plan to increase the price of the game from $6.99 USD to $8.99 USD (or the equivalent in your country's currency). This will not affect anyone who already owns Wool at the Gates.
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported the game and given us feedback! Happy Holidays!
Mr. & Ms. Creature