Do shroomers feel fear? Let's find out. 
Topa-din everyone!
The Technique Menu has departed the testing branch and entered the main branch. The previous technique menu overview is below if you had missed it, and at the bottom of the post is the previous and newest patch notes from the testing branch.
Thanks everyone who had reports this week!
Currently we are picking away on some quality of life updates and fixes, the game-guide menu (note on that below) and an updated demo. These should go live around the 4.0 map update, which we're primarily focused on. Till then we wish you all a nice weekend!
🙋< this is now live on GoG main branch as well!👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻 Technique Menu 👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻
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.
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.
👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻 Patch Notes 👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻
Patch notes from 3.8 Testing Branch
Update 3.81:
🎨 Visuals
🌱Fixed an issue where the portrait heads could get stalled during the blinking animation and look like they were sleeping for a bit. Not allowed guards, back to work!
🌸 UI
🌱Fixed an issue with new stamina visual where one of the pieces had a delay in filling
🌱”Leader” icon text raised up to give some space to the character name in portraits
🌸 Adventuring
🌱 Fixed an issue with some related quests if Soreena dies somehow in the Abandoned Farms map
🌱Changed some grammar in the Harvest God statue
🌱Fixed an issue with the Armor breaking elyxir ammunition
🌱Fixed an issue with sleeping hostile creatures that could result in them waking up early if you are moving around them
🌸 Balancing
🌱XP added to quests
🌱Edited Binding challenge for creatures resistance
🌱Edited Binding challenge where the size of the creature now has more influence on the challenge
🌸 Gameplay
🌱 Technique Kick Together - support guard and leader now move closer together for
🌱 Technique Charge Together - now has support guard prioritize the same target, not a nearby target
🌱 Technique Pin - FIxed issue where after a target is pinned another target could pin the volling pinning in what was looking rather * too friendly *
🌱Fixed bug with Sela’s shrine not giving XP for Intercessions check
🌱Spell: Lizard Trap - fixed issue when summoning the trap where an outdated poison effect caused some havoc in the gamefeed
🌱Spell: Vine Rug - fixed an issue that could occur where the rug begins to disappear if the caster is KO and the time had run out while it is forced active with an ally still on it
🌱Spell: Find Padurri - condensed text description to fit in the info box nicer
🌱Fixed an interface issue that could prompt the hotkey of flipping your characters weapon loadouts unintentionally
🌱Fixed an issue with sleeping hostile creatures that could result in their zzZ animation resuming once they are killed
🦟 Patch 3.801:
🎨 Visuals
🌱Adjusted Stamina bar art as well as having it now remain visual in and out of combat
🌱Adjusted edge-clicking exit art
🌸 UI
🌱Fixed rare issue where HUD elements from Act 1 could visually remain on during the start of Act 2 while creating guards
🌱Fixed bug where perfect dodge scaled action bar does not return to normal size
🌱Fixed discord link on main menu
🌱Fixed bug where evasion notices weren’t always showing in game feed
🌱Fixed a timing issue with displaying the Boro’s weight while removing items from their bag
🌱Fixed a visual issue with the Charge button glowing for a technique after the opportunity had passed for it
🌸 Adventuring
🌱“Lachovinian bow” name fixed
🌱Fixed a spelling mistake in one of the conversation paths with the Lazure guard Dan
🌱Act 1 Asal has Pin-Kick learned
🌸 Balancing
🌱Harmony bonus is multiplied by summoned/bound creatures as well as companions standing in Form Up circle
🌱Updated kick/charge damage base to be strength instead of character level
🌱Tweaked Harmony evasion and rally up bonuses
🌱Updated effects mushroom rivi-wrap
🌱Update pin time calculation to include strength and aura
🌸 Gameplay
🌱Fixed an issue that could occur with Greva where they could have attacks interrupted when prompting the combat dome
🌱Fixed a timing issue where your guard’s heads would turn back to portrait rotations after concluding a dialogue before the menu exited
🌱Fixed an issue where if Asal moved with WASD immediately after killing a target he could get ahead of the camera catching up to him, the little rascal
🌱Fixed issue where oars could be scaled to gargantuan levels
🌱Update pin time calculation to include strength and aura
🌱Rivi Wraps and Globes can be used at any time
🌱Rivi Wraps and Globes now displayed in Portrait grid
🌱Capped shroomer flyers adding more eggs when in party
🌱Fixed bug with supporting guards blocking getting interrupted
🌱Fixed bug where successful timing evasion against Robber Baron Gabriel not showing in gamefeed in West Ruins map
🌱Fixed some issues where pagan next to Vol tree above Lighthouse was not casting spells correctly
🌱Fixed bug where Boiling Spores and some other spells would show as too difficult after casting
🌱Adjusted model physics where some situations allowed KO or killed characters to temporarily float a unit or so above ground after getting pushed against a wall
🌱Fixed issue that could occur with pathfinding where guards could run through some wall colliders if they were charging when combat began/ended
🌸 Controllers
🌱Updated dialogue controls to use D-Pad to avoid unexpected goodbye/continue clicking caused by joystick