Hey Heroes,
Act II is releasing today as a beta!
To ensure stability, we will first be releasing it on the bleeding-edge branch. This means you will have to opt into bleeding-edge to have a first-hand go at experiencing Act II. We will also be adding in translations for other languages in the coming weeks.
For those not sure what the bleeding-edge branch is, consider it a beta. Be pre-warned that the game may hang or crash as betas do from time to time and we are counting on you not to freak out if it does. Please also kindly inform us of any bugs you find by pressing the F8 key.
The build will be playable from start to finish but the content is not complete yet. We will continue to add the remaining content (i.e. enemies, cards, backgrounds, etc) and will polish the new mechanics in the following weeks leading up to the official public release.
Once we consider the update to be stable and bug free, we will officially release it (likely end of August).
Do note that in the official version, you will have to finish Act I before you can play Act II.
As before, due to the extensive differences between the two versions, the save file used in the bleeding-edge is separate from the main branch, so you'll be able to dive in and test the changes without worrying about messing up your current progress. Eventually, these changes will make its way to the main branch after a period of testing.
To opt-in to bleeding-edge, go to Gordian Quest on your Steam launcher and click on the following - Manage > Properties > Betas > Opt-in to bleeding-edge
-----------
What You Can Expect In Act II
Now, let us tease you with what you can expect in Act II!
The Azul
The new map features new territories to explore and dangers to face. Sand storms that plague the land will cause some nodes to be shrouded, keeping the challenges within a mystery.
Some new paths spawn according to which nodes you choose to pass through, leading to endless possible ways to explore the secret caverns and tunnels coiled under the vast Azul Desert. What dangers or treasures lie ahead? Only the bravest of heroes will find out.
The Bard
Naran the Bard joins the roster of heroes! She yields a delicately precise form of magic through a series of harmonies. She can lead a turbid orchestra that feeds fear or a soothing aria that inspires courage where there was none. She wanders the realm in pursuit of adventures and companions that can inspire her music.
Naran's skill schools revolve around three main themes :
- Effects that strengthen her party's offensive capabilities, or weaken and expose the enemy.
- Effects that cause direct harm, whether through the magical nature of her music or her trusty slingshot.
- Effects that can confuse and control her foes, turning them to her side, albeit temporarily.
An Expanded Bestiary
Here is a look at some of the new enemies you'll encounter in this new region. They'll possess new and deadly traits that you'll need to prepare a good response to, lest they rip your party to shreds! The desert is a dangerous place.
The mechanics are still a work in progress, but here is a sneak peak at the new mechanics you'll have to deal with:
Noyakin Blade
Steal Item: Steal an item from the player. Return item to player on death.
Noyakin Mystic
Disruption: Add 2 Disrupt cards to target hand. When played, Disrupt applies a random debuff to the unit.
Fire Spirit
Burn Weapon: Apply Burn to all attack cards in target's hand.
Missions
A core complaint with our first patch was that players would mostly stick to three heroes over the course of an adventure, with the rest of them just parked in town. As part of the Act II arc, Missions is brand new mechanic that will give these heroes more purpose, and allow you to engage with them more often.
A new NPC in town will grant access to this system, where you can form parties with your other heroes and send them off on missions. This system runs alongside your own adventures - as you explore the wild, your other parties make progress as well. You can track their progress on your map with a counter on the side.
After a period of time, these away teams will complete the mission progression, gaining XP. In addition, several things may happen at this juncture. Depending on the type of mission :
- You can benefit by collecting a small reward from their missions (essentially making these missions delayed rewards),
- You can switch over to the away team, fighting a concurrent battle elsewhere on the map, earning specific rewards.
- You can scout out areas on the map, adding Boons to the area.
- You can convert a node into a Raid node - a new battle mode that lets your party join forces with the away party to fight a powerful set of foes.
This is a highly extensible system and we see the possibility of adding more mission types in the future, as well as reasons to send specific heroes.
----------
Thanks for reading. We will continue to work hard in bringing you more exciting features and improvements in the game. We thank you for your support and patience as we continue to build this game with you.
As always, we hope to hear your thoughts below on what we’ve put forth so far. Feel free to join us on Discord https://discordapp.com/invite/tce6YMW to chat with us.
And last but not least, if you haven't already, please consider giving us a positive review on Steam if you like how we are doing so far. It would really mean a lot to us. Thanks! :)
Crafted With Love,
The Mixed Realms Team