Update 0.41: Field Guide & Smoother Swarms

Aetheris Core · build 24385347 · published

On SteamNotes only · this build shipped before we watched the app

Update 0.41 is now live!

Update 0.41 focuses on teaching, combat clarity, and a smoother run curve. The new Field Guide offers a safe place to study combat, while enemy pressure now builds more gradually after Boss 1 without removing the late-game challenge.

New: Field Guide

  • Added the Field Guide to the Archive, covering Systems, Abilities, Enemy Roles, and Mini-Bosses.
  • Live, looping combat demonstrations show how abilities and enemies behave.
  • Detailed lessons explain status effects, ability scaling, threat tells, and counterplay.
  • Locked content remains hidden behind silhouettes, allowing the guide to grow alongside your progress.

Smoother Enemy Pressure

  • Preserved the existing spawn-rate curve before Boss 1, while preventing early swarm surges from exceeding the normal baseline enemy ceiling.
  • After Boss 1, spawn rate now climbs more gradually and reaches maximum intensity after Boss 3 instead of between Bosses 1 and 2.
  • The baseline enemy ceiling now grows every 3.1 active seconds instead of every 2.65 seconds.
  • Reduced the baseline late-game enemy ceiling from 270 to 240. Void Presence and other pressure modifiers can still exceed this baseline.
  • Flankers are still introduced early, but appear less frequently until after Boss 2.

Abilities, Relics & Progression

  • Nova: Increased base damage from 22 to 27 and knockback force from 370 to 460.
  • Solar Lance and Cross Sweep: Multiplicity can now generate additional beams and crosses.
  • Singularity Field: Now fires low-damage radiation beams at distant bosses, or at distant enemies when nothing is caught inside the field.
  • Annihilation Protocol: Reworked its chain reactions for more controlled and consistent results. Explosion damage is now 12% instead of 20%, follow-on explosions lose damage over two generations, and damage against bosses and high-health targets is capped.
  • Added the Hidden Potential Heart Tree upgrade at Core Level 80. Its two ranks raise the Pilot Mastery cap from 20 to 25, then 30.
  • The Permanent Relic Box Heart Tree reward now always offers relic choices instead of substituting Seeds, Trial Sigils, or Frame Fragments.
  • Adjusted boss relic reward odds: Legendary 14% (previously 18%), Epic 71% (previously 67%), and Rare remains 15%.

Interface & Presentation

  • Boss health bars now display relevant buffs and debuffs, including stacks and remaining duration.
  • Ultimate Overload now displays its remaining duration directly beside the ultimate charges.
  • Improved the gamepad ultimate prompt and ready-state feedback.
  • Improved Heart Tree controller navigation, added hold-to-upgrade support, and made node progress and lock states clearer.
  • Health drops are now 25% larger visually for easier battlefield recognition.
  • Added animated, localized loading transitions featuring Najko.
  • Added a full credits sequence after completed endings. Once unlocked, the credits can be replayed from the Theater.

Fixes & Polish

  • Improved the Siegebreaker's hitbox alignment.
  • Fixed Saber Lance occasionally missing the visible edges of large enemies.
  • Fixed Splitter children not receiving their intended reduced size scaling.
  • Improved enemy death handling and the stability of dense chain-reaction events.
  • Bonus XP Explosion damage is no longer incorrectly included in player damage totals.
  • Improved ability sequencing for the Overlord Unbound Gauntlet trial loadout.

Thank you for all the feedback! We would especially love to hear how the new post-Boss 1 pacing and journey toward Boss 2 feel.

Update 0.41: Field Guide & Smoother Swarms · Aetheris Core build 24385347 · SteamPeaks