Hail Wardens, Update 3 for As We Descend is now live. This update has a substantial system rework, so your current runs in progress will NOT be compatible with the new patch! This update focuses on a bit of different things than the previous two updates. Rather than being a major content adjustment or expansion, we've focused on core gameplay adjustments to the Lantern, better functionality on retreating, improved sense of existing content in the game, and a pass on balance for both cards and enemies.
Changes are below, along with additional design notes.
Steam Achievements
There are now 5 Steam Achievements that can be unlocked.
They are not backwards compatible, so you'll have to satisfy their condition after this patch to unlock them.
We'll be adding additional Steam Achievements throughout Early Access as mechanics are solidified, and we can guarantee that an Achievement can be forward-compatible.
In-Battle Retreat
Design notes: As We Descend is not a game about winning every battle, it's about picking and choosing your engagements. A key to reinforcing that idea is the ability to retreat; retreating from expeditions is now more straightforward to use. While you can still retreat during the deploy screen if you think the encounter is unfavorable, you can test your luck in battle first before deciding to do a tactical retreat. Warning: In order to retreat, you'll have to do it before you play any cards for that turn, and your enemies will get to use one final action.
You can now retreat from battle during a battle
You can only retreat before you play any cards on a turn
In-Battle Retreat is unlocked alongside the deployment screen retreat option (after you unlock emergency power, and every run thereafter)
Lantern Draft
Design notes: This change is quite a substantial deckbuilding change that causes Lantern cards to now be continuously replaced rather than added on. While this means early game Lantern decks are slightly larger at eight cards, they won't scale out of control into the later parts of the game. This is a more experimental change, so I'm going to keep an eye on how this one plays out.
Instead of drafting a new card for the Lantern, drafting new cards for the Lantern now replaces an existing card so you always stay at 8 cards
Several Market Events have been temporarily disabled (Dispersal, Size Quandary)
Several achievements have been adjusted accordingly so they don't add new cards, and instead replace existing Lantern cards (though the text descriptions may be slightly incorrect)
Shopkeeper, Atelier now sell Lantern Upgrades instead of Lantern Removals
Units
Design notes: Unit and card changes are a mix of balance changes to some underperforming cards and the adjustments that come as a part of the Lantern Draft change. The Vanguard now starts with one fewer card, since the Lantern starts with one additional one.
New portraits/icons for Vanguard, Bombardier
Improved portraits/icons for most Guild units (Ranger, Shock Trooper, Chemist, Custodian, Cataphract, Herald, Navigator, Docent, Surgeon)
Vanguard no longer starts with Shield Slam
Forge Smith squad size increased from 2/4 to 3/5, and health per squad member decreased from 13 to 11
[Votive] Lantern – Now starts with the additional new Aurora Beam attack x2
[Guild] Lantern – Number of Flow Barriers increased from 4x to 5x
Cards
Enhanced Barriers cost decreased <1> to <0>
Oath of Thorns buff stacks increased from 3(4) to 4(6)
Thorn Skewer damage increased from 6(8) per hit to 7(10)
Whistling Spear damage increased from 6(10) +6(7) per zone to 8(12) +6(8) per zone
Well-Greased Engine barrier increased from 6(8) to 8(10)
Opening Salvo damage increased from 10 to 14
Encounters
Design notes: Multiple enemies in various encounters have reduced health overall, with reduced base health and some percentage of that health being moved into scaling health. Scaling health denotes increased stats on enemies on higher Descension levels or when faced later in a Depth on a given run.
Hermitage (Depth 2: Hermit & 2x Vermin) made slightly easier
Sand Trap (Depth 2: 2x Spikers & 2x Debaser) made slightly easier
Death Watch (Depth 3: Assassin & 2x Watcher) only shows up on higher Descension
[New] Deadly Silence (Depth 3: Assassin & Watcher)
Enemies
Dire Skitterling
Base health reduced from 42-46 to 40-44
Stagger threshold slightly increased
Molter King
Base health increased from 145 to 150
Increased visual size of weakpoints
Watcher
Base Health reduced from 51-54 to 45-48
Scaling Health increased from 6 to 8
Gaze the Abyss intent (Unbroken Gaze debuff) cooldown increased from 1 to 2
Assassin
Base Health reduced from 61-65 to 49-53
Scaling Health increased from 7 to 11
Molter Queen
Molter Queen now appears visually flying when Flying buff is active
Blood Terroir now uses melee attack anim
Glamour now displays an Exhaust intent rather than Debuff intent (to match the effect)
Increased visual size of weakpoints
The Codex
The “Units” button can now be used to view units and cards!
All units for all available origins can now be viewed, as long as you encountered the unit in-game
All cards for each unit can now be viewed, as long as you found the card in-game
As part of this change, cards now have mythion names until you draft them!
Settings Menu
Fixed the issue where the Default button was clickable, but wouldn’t do anything
Fixed an issue where the game could become ultra-blurry upon exiting the settings menu
Updated the visuals of the menu
And a bunch of smaller bugfixes and QoL changes
Bug Fixes
Fixed issue where Envoys could disappear when used in certain City events
Fixed Battle Focus being self-target only instead of friendly target
Fixed Earthbreaker AOE not affecting all enemies
Fixed some French localization issues
Cards are less blurry when using a lower render resolution than display resolution
Fixed Death Moth's intent bubble positioning
Sincerely,
Kev and the Box Dragon team P.S. This patch is a great time to jump into the game if you haven't already.
P.P.S. We've heard from a lot of people that they're interested in full Steam Deck support for the game. The game is already Steam Deck playable, though we're aiming to get it Steam Deck verified. It's ultimately up to Valve to decide which games are Steam Deck verified, but two major points will be controller support and appropriate button glyphs; we'll prioritize these things as we're able to. Thanks for your feedback!