# Development Update — Hero Rework, Visual Effects Expansion, Combat Balance Repass
_Date: 2026-03-23_
## TL;DR
- All **36 heroes reworked** with unique mechanics and hero-specific status effects — no two heroes play the same way anymore.
- **Skill visuals massively expanded**: 3 new visual archetypes + 26 new effect types; all 144 hero skill effects modernized.
- **Major combat balance pass**: engagement ranges tightened, AOE sizes tuned, enemies respond to splash damage properly.
- **Trade marketplace UI redesigned** with visual stash grid item selection and expanded currency trading.
- **Combat animations polished**: smoother melee approach, less jittering, faster support hero response.
## New Features
### Hero De-Homogenization Rework
Every hero now has a unique **loop → payoff** mechanic that shapes how they play. Examples: Heatguard's heat stockpile from blocking, Triage Links' damage-to-heal conversion with patient linking, Cadence Score's song-order tempo meter with crescendo windows, Brittle Lattice's ice pylon territory control — and 32 more.
- **224 status effects** spanning buffs, debuffs, ailments, ground effects, and auras — including hero-specific effects like heat stockpile, scorch brand, triage link, judgment mark, soul debt, and binding constellation.
- All 36 heroes updated with new party buffs, weapon locks, and 144 skill definitions tied to their mechanics.
- Expanded skill tooltips explaining mechanic interactions for every hero.
- **Hero mechanic milestones**: 7-stage progression (Primer → Pattern → Pivot → Release → Reserve → Engine → Capstone) unlocking at levels 1/15/30/45/60/75/90.
### Skill Visual Effects Overhaul
Three new visual archetypes for skill categories that previously lacked dedicated treatments:
- **Drain/Siphon** — life-steal and drain skills now show a visible stream from target to caster with absorption glow and orbital motes.
- **Multi-Strike** — combos, barrages, and flurries display sequential distinct impacts with shrapnel burst or AOE dome finishers.
- **Summon/Ritual** — zone and summon skills now have a full preparation → convergence → emergence sequence with ground sigils, vortex effects, and persistent zone visuals.
26 new visual effect types added (blaze trails, chain arcs, crystal growths, meteor showers, shadow tendrils, vortex pulls, and more). Total effect library: 53 types. All 144 hero skill visuals updated.
### Trade Marketplace UI Redesign
- Your stash now renders as a **visual grid** when creating listings — click items directly instead of scrolling a list.
- **Create Listing** modal redesigned as a two-column layout: stash browser (left) + item preview & pricing (right).
- Six currency types now tradeable: **orbs, inscriptions, sigils, imprints, edicts, glyphs** (previously only equipment, keys, and flasks).
## Balance Changes
### Combat Range Tuning
- Melee, ranged, and spell engagement distances tightened across the board for more readable, compact combat encounters.
- Melee units approach more aggressively and lock into range more reliably — less back-and-forth shuffling at engagement boundaries.
- Enemy skill ranges reduced to match the tighter engagement distances.
### AOE & Aggro Fixes
- AOE splash damage now properly aggros nearby enemy packs — no more enemies standing in fire and ignoring you.
- AOE radius tiers rebalanced for clearer visual-to-gameplay correspondence.
### Aether Deck Recommendations
- Recommendation engine overhauled with smarter archetype-aware suggestions. Cards are now ranked by how well they fit your hero's role (tank, healer, DPS, support) with preferred and avoided tag biases.
### Enemy AI Tuning
- Normal and elite enemy decision-making intervals adjusted for better performance at high enemy counts while keeping combat feeling responsive. Bosses unchanged.
## Combat & Animation Improvements
- **Heroes attack faster when idle** — heroes without available skills now auto-attack nearly 3× faster during cooldown windows.
- **Support heroes respond faster** — support heroes contribute damage during skill downtime much more quickly (idle time halved).
- **Smoother melee movement** — melee units hold their motion states longer, reducing flickering and jittering between animations. Walk/stop transitions are much cleaner.
- **Less animation stuttering** — when a skill animation finishes naturally and the same skill is queued, the unit holds its pose instead of restarting the clip. Multi-stage skills transition smoothly between phases.
- **Units no longer clip through the floor** during combat movement.
Thanks for playing.