Hello everyone!
You asked for it, you waited for it, and it happened! No more archers shooting across the entire map. The firing range of every ranged unit is now limited. No more dominance of a single strategy led by archers. No more camping in the corner of the map until the very end.
Optimal Distance
Thanks to the Optimal Distance system, both the player and the AI are forced to constantly reposition their ranged units. As of this patch, ranged units deal maximum damage at their maximum range. As the distance decreases, the damage decreases proportionally. However, as before, it cannot fall below 50%, which happens when a ranged unit attacks in melee.
Zone of Control and Attack of Opportunity
You might have already guessed, but yes, another of your wishes has been fulfilled: you can now shoot after moving! Doesn't this make ranged units too strong again? No, because in addition to the Optimal Distance system, the game now features Zone of Control and Attack of Opportunity systems. Now, every melee unit has the ability, once per round, to make an unanswered strike against an enemy moving within its adjacent cells.
UI Changes
Such massive changes to the combat system required equally massive changes to the interface. The movement area is now indicated by a green fill, and an attack is shown with a red line. The ground under potential targets is also colored from yellow to red, depending on the damage to be inflicted. But that's not all! Now you can see in advance the path a unit will take to a cell, which units it can hit from there, as well as whose zones of control the unit will enter and which attacks of opportunity it will provoke with its movement. Moreover, when hovering over an enemy unit, the percentage of damage you will inflict is now displayed, which is also extremely relevant for ranged units after the introduction of the Optimal Distance system. These innovations are designed to help you better read the battlefield and make the right decisions.
Opponent Behavior Changes
The changes to the combat system also affected the opponent's artificial intelligence. It now considers zones of control and tries to move its archers to the optimal distance. For now, the current system seems a bit too complex for it, so you might see it making more mistakes in your games. In the future, it will become smarter and more dangerous, but for now, enjoy the reduced game difficulty!
Balance Changes
This update also includes major balance adjustments aimed at emphasizing the new mechanics and unit roles. Each archetype now has a specific role: Adept - support and "glass cannons", Bruiser - your main damage dealers, Guardian - typical tanks, Sentinel - the fastest and most initiative-driven units, designed to engage first, and Marksman - speaks for itself. As always, these changes are not final; the balance will change in the future, and squads will gain additional abilities. Nevertheless, we are very interested to know what you think of the updated units.
Briefly about other changes, which mainly concern bug fixes and the user interface:
The ambient sound from past battles no longer lingers in the background after returning to the shop.
The playoff results table now sorts from the highest number of wins to the lowest.
Units on the upgrade selection screen are now sorted the same way as archetypes in the shop.
The AI now acts aggressively when there is parity in the strength of melee units.
When at a ranged advantage, the AI's melee units now correctly protect their strongest ranged unit.
Fixed a bug with the Pilgrim shooting before drawing the bowstring.
Added name setting from Itch.io.
The pop-up window offering to retreat can now be closed.
The combat results container now disappears correctly when transitioning to the shop.
The button to exit the battle is working again.
Feedback
It's very important for me to know what you think of the new approach to the combat system. Are you happy with the changes? What are you missing? Please share your opinions in the comments, polls, or social media—wherever you prefer. The main thing is, don't stay silent; the future of the project depends on you! Your support is very important, don't forget to add the game to your wishlist and tell your friends about it!