Greetings, Raid Leaders!
You probably haven't heard a lot of things about Crab Raid Tactics, and that's about to change.
I won't bore you with a lot of details about how Ex Tenebris is officially an Indie Studio based in Slovenia, and how I am a proud founder of it.
Today, I bring you the first update that proudly wears its own name - Pathfinder's Update!
Today is also the start of Steam Strategy Fest, so would it not be the perfect occasion?
Raid Structure
Remember how levels used to shuffle randomly between Shore and Underwater areas?
Time for some pathfinding to happen. It is now divided into different Areas. There are three, currently:
- Sandy Shore
- Shallow Reef
- Brinebough Forest (new!)
Each area has a unique arena mechanic to be aware of.
Sandy Shore still have those sandy exposions from before, that appear out of nowhere from time to time.
Shallow Reef is invaded by Sea Urchins that don't like to be near Crabs and explode violently when poked
Brinebough Forest has Withering Fairies that don't want any Crabs trampling their verdant lawn.
Right now, there is only one Arena Event tied to each area. There are plans to add more in the future. For now, those three would be used to clearly state my intention to make every area meaningfully different in terms of challenge. All of them share the same monster set for now, and that is another thing that would probably change in the future.
At the end of each Encounter, when you are choosing the portal, you may now occasionally be offered a passage to another Area, on certain conditions: for example, Sandy Shore is connected to both Brinebough Forest and Shallow Reef, but you can't travel from Reef to Forest directly. While there are only 3 areas available, the plan is to have as much as 8 of them for the release.
UX Improvements
There are many small changes done to the game's UI to make it more understandable and straightforward. Most of it is based on the feedback I got from you!
Also, no, there is no "Move All" button yet. I know you want it. I admit it is a good idea. I cave in.
I did not have enough time to implement it right now, but I will definitely add it later.
Raid Results ːsteamthumbsupː
Something to brag about and post in our DISCORD SERVER for everyone to see
Raid Progress
Shows the current progress towards the boss, as well as some stats - like passed time or Hostility level (Guess you never knew the game gets harder and harder with each encounter by the power of this hidden parameter, huh? Now it's out there!)
Path Information ːsteamthumbsupː
A lot of you mentioned it was unclear what those icons in front of portals mean. With this update - there is a way to present that information to give more context to your choise.
Portal VFX were also changed, and its visuals are now tied to Areas they lead to.
No Portals until the Reward is picked up ːsteamthumbsupː
Paths forward only activates after the reward has been picked up. This has been an issue for a while now, and a lot of players saw it as an issue.
Graphics for Smite ability ːsteamthumbsupː
Smite got its own graphics now and no longer looks the same way Seafoam Slash does - both VFX and icon has been updated for it
Credits
A small, but very important addition - Hall of Fame for everyone who contributed (willingly or unwillingly) to this game's content.
Improvements marked with ːsteamthumbsupː were based on the feedback I got from all of you so far. Keep it coming!
As always - I'll be happy to see you on Crab Raid Tactics Discord, hear your honest thoughts and awesome ideas!
GL;HF! Until the next time!
Stefan, Your Dungeon Master