Topa-din Guards of Lazure,
We’re in the middle of finalizing the last of the maps of the game before starting to upload them into EA builds, but wanted to start testing the tech menu in the meantime.
This is on the Testing Branch on Steam and GoG, password: BfFTestingBranch
There will be some difficulty spikes in the remaining maps so it's the perfect time to start getting these added power bumps tested. These techniques have been in the works since the Mark action updates (when that expanded to Pin and Charge actions) in 1.8, and enhances group-fighting specifically.
Group Fighting
There are passive upgrades for the party they can learn, but mainly Techniques are used situationally during brawls and dynamically change the use of the Pin, Charge, Kick and Attack buttons. This is dependent on enemy and your support guard's status and positioning. You'll see the action buttons glow when a technique is available for the party leader to use (the one you're actively playing as), or a guard do something new automatically, like if an enemy is downed and any guard is near it they'll give it a good kick.
Some of these are just for support guards, some are for everyone and some are just for the party leader. So if your party is coming up short in some regard or you're struggling, there are now techniques that will help out passively and increase damage and defense output overall for your support guards. Alternatively there are more risk-focused brawling techniques like pin-spin, which if you grab an enemy while they are surrounded by allies you will spin them in a circle hitting all of them, and then launch your target toward one of them.
Unlocking Techniques
You start your technique unlocking by selecting three Action locations on the web for free. Your party's total XP gained is used as a currency thereafter to branch away from these initial three Actions to enhance them, gain new upgrades, learn new techniques, or upgrade those techniques.
New games will now have the decision of what Actions and Techniques they'd like to pursue first as they begin, and what might be more effective with their build composition. Existing Early Access games should have a healthy pool of XP to learn from immediately when opening up 3.8 and onward. Marshal Grigore at the Forten can reset these for you at any time (for free for now).
We'll be sprucing these up, patching this testing branch and rolling in other fixes and get this on the main branch this week. If you happen to check it out please let us know if you find anything or have any suggestions! The costs of the technique book are balanced for the XP provided from the average playthrough of the overall game, but we'll be updating costs of these through Early Access. Typically upgrades get expensive when upgrading techniques specifically, and everything else is more gradual increases.
📝 Notable changes
If you're going to check this out on the testing branch (we'll have these reminders on the main branch update as well):
✧ The Rally (and Rally chain attacks) no longer have an action bar button, but are now executed by holding the key/controller button when selecting a target to attack like usual. Your ‘Attack’ button glows when this is available as an option
✧ Opening an existing game will have Rally, Pin, Charge, Kick, Revive, Form Up, and Dodge unavailable until they are learned.
✧ Dodge is now learnable to improve the existing ‘block’ action. That is to say the guards will stand still and block if you use the key or they are on their own until you learn Dodge, after which they’ll be able to hop away from danger completely if there is room available. Support guards are more effective at blocking now, but dodge will always be a better option for them as it generally avoids all damage.
✧ The tactics menu button on the bottom left part of the HUD is now repurposed for the Techniques menu. The previous tactics menu is being updated and will be integrated per-portrait for faster edits during gameplay/encounters as needed. Evasion/kiting behaviors are based on their equipped weapon at the moment, and pin frequency is reset to the baseline.
Techniques also makes songs, equipment, and intercessions that improve stamina/rally generation more potent, as most techniques require stamina or Rally to be used. You can feel a big difference if your guards are ripped on rice beer or cafera during a fight, so drink responsibly and all that.
For anyone waiting to play more - the 4.0 showcase video will feature more of these when that goes live along with the new maps.
🙋< This menu is also acting as the template for the improved tips/help menu which we've had requests for, and will feature a similar type of video/interactive layout for learning more about the game from our instructor Marshal Grigore.
We'll have the larger patch and fix notes when this goes on the main branch, thanks to everyone who's reported! This build also has that Discord link fixed in-game for those interested, we didn't know the default was to have that link expire after a week(?). Anyway that's good to go without a timer now, as far as we know.
More news around the corner. Hope everyone has a lovely week!