Hey everyone!
You can now download and play Update 1.9.1 - Sailor's Delight on the Steam testing branch. If you aren't already on the testing branch and would like to help us test the new update before an official push, you can follow the instructions here:
Steam Testing Branch Instructions
This update comes with a lot of new changes. Let me go over briefly some of what you can expect to see!
Island Distribution Changed
With this update we have changed the distribution of islands in the world. The new system better spreads out content and discoveries so that you'll be less likely to find multiple islands back to back with nothing on them. We've still got some content gated beyond a certain point and things of that nature to keep a sense of progression, but we wanted to decrease the lull a little bit and make it easier to find some of the unique content we've put into the game.
These changes will take effect to any new games you create and are an optional upgrade for previous save games.
New NPCs, Quests, and Items
Along with the new island distribution system, we've also implemented two brand new friendly characters with quests and rewards. These new characters are known as the Sea Fisher and the Sea Scholar. Each NPC will have five quests and as you complete the quests, you'll unlock access to rank 1 through 5 of their vendor gear. Once you hit rank 5, you'll be able to do a repeatable quest for a random loot drop. The random loot drop is guaranteed to be a rare item, but also has a chance to be an epic or even a legendary.
With these new NPC's we've introduced over 50 new weapons, armor, and items into the game to give you lots of new loot to work toward.
New Help Interface
This update also includes a new help interface intended to make it easier for new players to learn the mechanics of the game. The new interface is more intuitive to use and will direct players to a portion of the help journal as they encounter related content in the game.
In addition to all this we've also made some other changes. We've fixed a bug on the merchant window where the inventory would sometimes start out scrolled at the bottom. We've also made the question mark on the merchant interface pulse slightly to better indicate his available quest.
We plan on pushing this update out officially soon but can use your help on the testing branch in the mean time. Thanks for reading and as always we'd love to hear your feedback!