v.0.5 - Combat Improvements, Controller UI Overhaul, Party AI, Weapons, and More

Hefty one, a lot of system overhauls, new controller UI, lantern mechanic, combat fixes, etc.

UI:

Controller UI Overhaul-
- Added dedicated controller menus for character equipment, skills, party management, quests, map, and achievements
- Added a controller combat hotbar with trigger-based skill selection
- Improved inventory navigation, equipment comparisons, and item actions
- Added controller support for editing and reordering companion gambits
- Added an on-screen keyboard for text entry
- Improved controller navigation through character creation, settings, and save menus

Party Commands & Loot-
- Added a party command wheel for positioning individual companions or the whole party
- Hold the right stick button to open party commands and use the right trigger to select and place flags
- Players can continue moving while positioning the party
- Added nearby loot selection and pickup prompts for controllers
- Tap the right stick button to cycle nearby loot

Combat Readability-
- Target casting bars now display the skill icon, name, and casting progress
- Party health bars now show regeneration and degeneration indicators
- Added distinct health bar colors for conditions and hexes
- Improved target markers, tooltip layouts, and controller button prompts

Combat:

Attack Timing & Interruptions-
- Improved consistency between attack animations and when hits actually land
- Enemy and companion weapon skills now respect attack windup
- Attack speed effects now properly adjust the full attack sequence
- Spells now spend their Energy when casting begins
- Interrupting a spell wastes the resources already spent and puts the skill on recharge
- Fixed instant abilities interfering with an attack or spell already in progress
- Fixed companion Valor spending on attack skills

Projectiles & Terrain-
- Projectiles now collide with walls and blocking terrain
- Physical projectiles can miss targets that move after the shot is released
- Homing spell projectiles follow their targets
- Projectile damage, conditions, and interrupts now take effect when the projectile lands

Movement & Combat Fixes-
- Improved movement around obstacles when approaching a target
- Reduced repeated attempts to chase unreachable targets
- Improved ranged companion positioning and retreat behavior
- Fixed combat timers stopping while certain menus were open or characters were knocked down

Party AI:

Following-
- Companions now use the player's recorded route when terrain blocks their formation
- Added gentle catch-up movement outside combat
- Improved formation direction when following another player in co-op
- Each player's assigned companions now use their own following formation
Healing & Revival-
- Companions account for healing and revival casts already underway
- Reduced unnecessary duplicate healing and revival attempts
- Fixed companions attempting to use self-only healing skills on other party members

Weapons & Loot:

Weapon Expansion-
- Expanded weapon options across all six professions
- Added more weapon appearances, attribute requirements, and progression tiers
- Expanded weapon glows, tints, and projectile effects

Loot Improvements-
- Added randomized weapon rarity and glyph modifiers
- Higher-rarity weapon drops can require identification
- Weapon requirement tiers now scale with enemy level
- Ground drops display their weapon appearance and rarity effects
- Improved loot spacing and reduced overlapping loot beam glare

World:

Lantern & Lighting-
- Expanded lantern companion behavior and movement
- Added lantern interactions with world torches
- Improved lantern lighting and its introduction during the arrival cutscene

Playtest Focus:

- Controller navigation and combat feel
- Party following through doorways and tight corners
- Co-op party commands, zone travel, and following
- Projectile collision and interrupt timing