So, let me give you an analogy.
Let's say you had a car. It's a sweet car, but it has patched-together engine system with some shiny new parts and some old-ass improvised parts. So you decide to replace the old parts. You start taking them out one by one, with the intention of replacing each of them with a shiny new one, but each one requires an additional part to be removed to get at the one behind it, and at a certain point, you've taken three-quarters of the engine apart and you realize that it would actually be easier to just build a new engine altogether than reconstruct the old patchwork one.
This is roughly what happened while I went in to revamp the battle system while keeping it compatible with the old hotfix. For a while it looked like I would be able to bridge the gap but at a certain point I realized that I should just overhaul the jalopy right now, no more excuses. This is the right time.
So yes, I am parsing in the new GUI, the new gear profiles, and revamping all the old code to fit it. But I am also getting rid of other persistent bugs, graphical glitches, and enemy loading errors that have plagued the battle system for a long time and have prevented people from enjoying it properly, or at all. This will take some extra time, but it will be well worth it.
I'm actually making rapid progress BUT I want to actually test it out a bit before I release it for y'all. I'm hoping within a few days I will be within striking distance of getting a SUBSTANTIAL hotfix in your hands. Metaphorically speaking.
Thanks, everyone.