We're here to discuss a few things regarding the state of the game and more!
This decision was reached due to several things: Problems with missing SFX, bosses' hitboxes causing invisible damage due to objects not despawning adequately, the z-depth of the camera causing an issue with the controls display at start, Aerial Assault boss not behaving adequately, and more.
We've already fixed all these issues, but we are currently testing everything properly alongside other new features.
The amazing folks at Kickstarter recently voted in a poll to decide the fate of game progression, and we've got an interesting result: 59% to 41% in favor of the return of the shop system.
First, let us assure the voters of Fixed Automatic Progression that we won't simply remove the feature, especially in light of how closely contested the poll was. What we'll do instead is bring the shop back as an addition to the existing system, so they won't be mutually exclusive.
For those of you who don't know what the shop is, it's a feature from the old Early Access version of the game that was removed in favor of automatic level-up. Previously, you had to level up Gastova manually through this shop by spending your accumulated E-EXP (called "monies" at the time) on the elements and assorted upgrades.
While at the time we thought removing the shop was for the best, our players convinced us that it was not a good idea overall, and we started considering if this feature had a place in the game once again. Since the Kickstarter backers gave the final verdict, the shop is therefore returned to the game!
Grimoire and Goddess Stone Recharge: You'll be able to fully recharge your Goddess Stone and Grimoire fuels anytime, making it much easier than having to grind for it.
Talents Level Up: In addition to the Fixed Automatic Progression, you can speed up the enhancements of your talents by spending E-EXP in this screen.
Crest Shop: Some assorted upgrades that you can purchase for Gastova after beating bosses or collecting an x number of Collectibles in the map. The first row of crests upgrades the Guardian Staff and makes it a more attractive staff option, the second row upgrades your grimoire charges to a max of 8, and the last two rows improve Gastova's Raw STR and DEF, respectively.
Currently, we are programming the new shop and testing its capabilities. If everything goes well, it will be released alongside this Friday's patch.
In a previous post, we discussed the possibility of developing better shortcuts for staff radial menus in general, including one for Grimoires (now a discarded idea, as we fear it might be unnecessary, given that the Grimoire menu is already quite fast). In the end, we decided not to poke too much into what already works, and decided that the current radial staff menu stays as is, albeit with a slight reskin:
However, we have a bit of good news for controller players: If you press the Right Stick Button, you can open and close the original radial menu and choose the staff at your leisure pace, exactly like the keyboard players. And the best part is: If you just move the right stick around, a quick menu will pop up, allowing you to choose a staff quickly (and more accurately!) without pausing the game:
We hope this small change helps controller players to have a handy shortcut without causing a major overhaul. For keyboard players, a reminder: If you open the Staff Radial Menu and press the keys 1 to 4, you can assign shortcuts for your favorite staves.
Title Update 1 is also being worked on. Titled the "Randomizer Mode" build, you'll be able to start a remixed version of the game that changes things around a bit: Most bosses will stay the same; however, defeating a given boss might give you a different element or grimoire.
Boss Loot Randomization: When you defeat a boss, you will receive a different summon or grimoire depending on the starting seed.
Enemy Staff Drop Randomization: Enemies that drop staff will also drop a different staff than the ones they are known for.
Collectible Drop Randomization: We don't want to cause another headache regarding these guys, so the collectibles stay in their exact positions. However, the wardrobe reward they give will certainly be randomized!
Enemy Position Randomization: This one is tricky due to level design constraints, and we cannot promise every monster will be randomized (Those cursed fairies could fly into walls...). We're testing the possibilities, and certain monsters will remain fixed, such as the Battle Maidens, for progression purposes. That said, can you imagine a citadel enemy in the grottoes? Oof... Rough start!
Of course, we need to emphasize that reloading a save or trying to go in and out of screens won't change the enemy positions, as the randomized runs will use a predetermined seed at start for pretty much everything. We chose to do this to avoid save-scumming and also to preserve people's loot in case they game over despite landing a good randomizing seed.
It's been an amazing experience: This is our first game, and despite all of its issues and our blunders as devs, we're happy to make sure the game keeps improving. We're also looking forward to developing new things and can't wait to do that, but we won't just abandon this ship. We have a few more things we'd like to do before we depart for a new adventure!
Thank you, everyone, for the kindness, the honest feedback, and for giving this game a try!
That’s it for now. Stay safe, and until next time, everyone!