Vanguard's Descent 0.2.0
Combat and characters
- Completed and refined the playable combat kits for Remi, Ian, and Aria, including Basic Attacks, Skills, Focus Skills, Ultimates, passives, animations, effects, and targeting behavior.
- Completed the shared Dodge system.
- Players now have two Dodge charges that recover over time.
- Perfect Dodges negate incoming hits and immediately restore Dodge charges.
- Dodging remains available during enemy Timestop attacks.
- Improved ability cancellation and retriggering for more responsive combat.
- Characters now automatically face their targets when activating abilities.
- Refined Ultimate Charge generation across Skills, Focus Skills, Basic Attacks, Ultimates, and Dodge.
- Added clearer handling for multi-hit, Blast, AOE, random-target, and summon-based attacks.
- Refined Remi’s Ultimate, Ian’s Flying Swords and enhanced form, and Aria’s multi-cast fireball abilities.
Archetypes and team-building
- Introduced seven build-defining archetypes: Break, Consume, Stacker, Crit, Summon, Support, and Debuffer.
- Added multi-tier synergy bonuses that grow as more matching rewards are collected.
- Break and Critical Hits now function as baseline combat mechanics for every team, with their archetypes providing additional bonuses.
- Added Chosen Archetypes. Up to three different archetypes can become Chosen during a run.
- Added a shared Chosen Activation meter and a unique active ability for every archetype.
- Break opens powerful damage windows.
- Consume manipulates party health and unleashes a magical sword.
- Stacker converts stored stacks into a projectile barrage.
- Crit trades Critical Rate for a temporary offensive surge.
- Summon immediately deploys and accelerates allied crystals.
- Support passes an increasingly powerful Attack buff between party members.
- Debuffer detonates damage-over-time effects and applies multiple ailments.
- Added autonomous Summon Spirits, periodic Support Pulses, team-wide Consume and Stacker resources, Break Bursts, Crit cascades, and Poison-based Debuffer gameplay.
- Added visible auras, status indicators, timers, and combat-log feedback for archetype effects.
Rewards and progression
- Completely redesigned the reward system around one shared progression pool.
- Added 52 Global Relics, 8 Slot Relics, and 12 character-specific Amplifiers.
- Every reward can reach Level 3.
- Duplicate rewards upgrade the existing item instead of creating separate copies.
- Previously acquired rewards are more likely to reappear, making it easier to finish a focused build.
- Added cross-archetype relics that contribute to two synergy tracks.
- Slot Relics now empower stable party slots and remain attached to that slot even when characters are rearranged.
- First-time Slot Relic offers clearly display their assigned slot.
- Added distinct icons, colors, level presentation, keyword highlighting, and hover explanations across the reward catalogue.
- Improved reward descriptions, targeting information, and post-combat summaries.
Party management and post-combat UI
- Added a three-slot party management interface.
- Characters can now be moved or swapped using clicks, touch input, or drag-and-drop.
- Party order persists and immediately updates the combat HUD.
- Character slots now display Health, Energy, and Ultimate Charge.
- Empty party slots are represented clearly and can still hold Slot Relic effects for future recruits.
- Added post-combat summaries for Global Relics, Slot Relics, Amplifiers, active archetypes, synergy tiers, and damage contributions.
- Added a richer combat log with color-coded character names, ability sources, archetype actions, buffs, healing, shields, summons, and reward activations.
- Added enemy names and improved combat-status presentation.
- Improved reward-card styling and consistency throughout the interface.
Enemies and encounters
- Completed the core enemy roster: Grunt, Rogue, Mage, Slime, Golem, and Knight.
- Added Elite versions with increased stats, additional attacks, and reinforcement-summoning behavior.
- Implemented the Warden’s two-phase boss transition, including its transformation, armor change, material swap, and revealed weapons.
- Redesigned enemy attack scheduling so multiple enemies can prepare attacks concurrently.
- Enemy hit timings are spaced to remain readable.
- Occasional simultaneous attacks create deliberate high-pressure moments.
- Normal attacks and Timestop attacks now use separate scheduling lanes.
- Elite and Boss enemies receive greater presence in the attack rotation.
- Improved enemy formation recentering after a combatant is defeated while preserving readable spacing.
- Refined projectile behavior, hit windows, spawning, rotation, and Timestop interactions.
Dungeon experience
- Implemented the Floating Ruins dungeon’s 20-stage run structure.
- Added Starting, Early, and Late encounter pools with expanded enemy combinations.
- Added Combat, Character Recruitment, Reward, Rest, and Boss stages.
- Added weighted battle selection and persistent character resources across encounters.
- Added party defeat handling and end-of-run transitions.
- Added reward refreshes using gold.
- Improved dungeon progression, stage transitions, spawning, camera flow, and post-combat presentation.
Visual and audio presentation
- Completed major environment passes for the Floating Ruins, Magical Forest, Grass Plains, and Overlord-room scenery.
- Improved terrain materials, textures, foliage, grass color, trees, depth of field, lighting, and camera presentation.
- Added and refined visual effects for summons, auras, archetype abilities, projectiles, and status effects.
- Updated character materials, clothing, skin weights, animations, montages, and ability effects.
- Added a large collection of unique icons for Relics, Amplifiers, Slot Relics, Synergies, abilities, and status effects.
- Improved trailer and demo presentation, timing, transitions, and camera behavior.