Hello Vikings,
Since wrapping up CAT#01 (Closed Alpha Test), we’ve been buried in player logs and feedback. The consensus was clear: the game is fun, but it can be exhausting. We realized that some of the complex systems we implemented for depth were actually acting as friction, slowing down the experience and causing unnecessary fatigue.
For Build 0.1.3, our mantra is "Flow over Friction." We’ve taken a hard look at what makes the game drag and made some bold calls to cut the noise. Our goal is a faster, more intuitive experience that lets you focus on the adrenaline of combat rather than wrestling with mechanics.
Here’s the breakdown of how we’re sharpening the blade.
TL;DR : Our Demo will be soon uploaded to Steam. The post is basically explaining all the things we've changed and implemented for that Demo.
⚔️ Combat
The biggest decision we made was retiring the Eitr System. While we loved the strategic depth it promised, it was ultimately overcomplicating the tactical layer and restricting player freedom. We’ve decided to move away from it to keep the combat visceral and direct.
Eitr System Removal: We’ve officially cut this system to reduce combat fatigue. All related items and skills have been reworked with new mechanics.
The Onboarding Curve: To prevent "first-run shock," the first three modules of any theme will now feature fixed, basic enemy types to let you find your footing.
Projectile & Ballistic Logic: We fixed an issue where bullet speed buffs warped trajectories. Now, your shots maintain their path regardless of speed. We've also polished projectile orbits for certain ranged enemies and adjusted Rune trajectory logic for better fairness.
Zero-Delay Spawning: We’ve adjusted enemy spawn timing after entering a dungeon. The fight starts the moment you step in.
Minimized the delay between enemy waves
Moved spawn triggers closer to the entrance to ensure combat begins immediately upon map entry.
Ballistic System Refactoring: Previously, increasing your bullet speed stat would inadvertently warp the projectile’s trajectory, making certain Ballistic Runes practically unusable at high velocities. We have overhauled the core system structure to ensure that all projectiles perfectly maintain their intended path regardless of speed. As part of this systemic fix, we’ve also adjusted various enemy projectile orbits to be fairer and more intuitive.
Trimming the Sponges: Lowered HP for high-health enemies and reduced health scaling in higher difficulties. We want lethality, not a test of endurance.
Shop Expansion: You can now purchase consumable items directly from the Shop to help sustain your run.
Overhauled Shooting Feedback: We’ve recalibrated the "kick" of our weapons to make every shot feel more powerful and responsive.
Recoil to Pushback: We’ve transitioned our data from abstract "Recoil" stats to physical "Pushback" logic, making the weapon's impact feel more grounded.
Increased Impact: Slightly increased the base pushback values and strengthened the camera recoil during firing for a punchier feel.
Visual Clarity: Enhanced the visibility of Muzzle effects so you can clearly see the power of your weapon with every trigger pull.
👁️ Visibility: Breaking Through the Gloom
"Atmospheric" shouldn't mean "unplayable." We’ve done a massive visual sweep, specifically in Theme 0 (Wretched Rest), to ensure the environment is moody but never obstructive.
Lighting & Fog Pass: We’ve brightened the dungeon lighting and thinned out the fog. You can now
clearly distinguish enemies and interactive objects from the background.
Character & Entrance Polishing: Boosted the character’s base lighting and polished the entrance lighting of modules to guide your path more naturally.
Theme 0 Refactoring: Simplified the layout of Theme 0 and expanded the outer map boundaries for better combat space.
Enhanced Environmental Clarity: We’ve recalibrated the Skybox and Fog settings in Theme 0 (Wretched Rest). By thinning out the dense atmospheric haze, we’ve cleared up the field of vision, ensuring a more spacious and less obstructive visual experience while maintaining the theme's moody aesthetic.
Clearer Signs: Adjusted interactive objects to be more visually distinct and easier to spot.
⚙️ Systems & QoL
Small frustrations add up. We’ve added several Quality-of-Life features to ensure the UI works for you, providing information at a glance and letting you play exactly how you want.
Key Rebinding: It’s finally here, full key rebinding is finally in the Options menu.
How to Access: Available via Main Title or ESC → Options → Controls. Customize your layout to fit your playstyle and make every action feel natural.
Statistical Transparency: The Hero Info window now shows detailed sub-stats with descriptive tooltips explaining exactly what they do.
Momentum Exploration: Maintaining a sprint for a set time now causes you to gradually accelerate.
Automatic Chambering: Added an auto-reload system that triggers the moment your magazine hits zero.
Sacred Previews: You can now see the next grade of an Oparts at the Divine Kiln before you commit your resources.
The Scrapper’s Choice: Added a shortcut button to convert unwanted ammo from boxes directly into metal scraps. Scrap totals are now also visible in the main currency UI.
🎬 Presentation
We’ve overhauled our presentation so you can sense the flow of battle through your gut, not just by staring at a health bar. We’ve added juicier feedback to improve responsiveness and help you make split-second tactical decisions.
Then
Now
Enhanced Hit Feedback: Specific hit effects for both AoE and melee attacks have been added to clarify exactly what’s hitting you.
High-Impact Combat: We’ve intensified the screen border effects and added camera shake when taking damage to give every blow a sense of weight.
The Adrenaline State (Low HP): When you drop below 20% health, the world shifts. The BGM fades to a cinematic heartbeat, and peripheral SFX are dampened to simulate a last stand.
Health Bar Clarity: Increased the health bar size and added reactive animations to damage feedback.
Enhanced Looting Experience: We want every reward to feel earned and satisfying.
Visual FX Boost: Added new visual FX when acquiring items from chests to give you that extra hit of dopamine when looting.
Shoot to Loot: To keep your momentum going, you no longer have to stop and manually interact with every chest. You can now attack (shooting/melee, all works!) chests open to grab your loot and keep moving.
✨ The Final Touches
CAT#01 Credits: We’ve officially added the names of our Closed Alpha Test participants to the credits.
Expanded Customization: Added more color palettes and separated dye slots for Helmets and Shoulder. Also, you can now customize your character’s skin color.
Graphic Post-Processing Balancing: We’ve fine-tuned the global Bloom and SSAO settings to ensure a crisper visual experience.
Bloom Cleanup: Fixed an issue where excessive Bloom caused muddy or blurry rendering, resulting in a much cleaner image.
Depth Clarity: Adjusted the SSAO range, which was previously too wide and washed out the environment's depth. Shadows and contours are now much more defined.
Bug Sweep: Conducted a massive fix for Oparts and buffs that were not triggering correctly.
We are currently hammering out the final details and polishing the runes for this build. We don't have a locked zero hour just yet, but we are planning to have the demo go live between late May and early June. This update is a major milestone for us, and it wouldn't have been possible without the brutal honesty and passion of our community. We're building this game for you, and we can’t wait to see you back in the fray with these new improvements.
If you want to follow along with our daily progress, see behind-the-scenes sneaks, or just hang out with the team as we approach the launch window, join our Discord server.
Thank you for standing with us. The best is yet to come.
— THECOVE Team