Mercenary Brotherhood Demo · published
This hotfix addresses one key challenge seen with the demo, which is easing in new players. A new tutorial is added that, while short, introduces you to the key mechanics, ensures you have a healer and gives you a quick level up so you can see how the unit builds work. This will evolve over time.
Another big changes is the battle flow through tweaks in attack and movements economy. Before normal attacks were free but they would end a turn and you could only do one of them per turn. Now they cost 1AP for the first one and 3AP for subsequent ones, they don't end your turn but they do prevent you from moving without special abilities. What this leads into is adding multiple attacks per round for faster units, stresses movement related abilities more and rewards using abilities and spells to attack because now you can attack with one, kill the unit and then still move. Finally lots of minor UI and usability tweaks based on feedback from players. This will continue to be a major focus is to sand off some of the sharp edges to the game. Tip:
Bandits kill more player units than any other faction in the early game. However they also provide some good early game loot to balance the risk and reward.
Gameplay
- Added a New Player mode. This starts easier with some tutorial screens and lower lever difficulty
- When reinforcements are coming you can see the direction
Balance
- Change to standard melee and range attacks. First one/turn costs 1 AP and all others cost 3 AP. This means most units will get only 1 standard attack but more unlocked by extra traits and skills. However now they can use abilities after attacking. You also can't move after attacking unless an ability or trait allows you too
- Set Defend Calling on new games to be to survive 2000 days instead of 365. Days pass by fast
- Made vendettas spawn slightly later in the game, start slightly weaker and ambush less often. More changes coming in later builds
Usability/UI
- In the Battle Victory screen after level ups, there is now a + sign for units who can level up, increase a skill or choose an awakening trait. Clicking will allow you to upgrade immediately
- Other minor UI improvements in the world atlas
- Weapon type is clarified in the weapon hover over.
- Slight delay between allied animations and enemies
- Improve message about reinforcements coming to not be as in your face
- On recruitment screens, double clicking will allow you to recruit units
- Tweak to how the health and fatigue bars are drawn
- The unit panel at the bottom of battles will always be split with current unit on the left and target unit on the right or blank if there is no target unit
- Health and fatigue bar sizes can be adjusted in settings. Default is thinner than before
- Fix text overflow on some sections when increasing UI Scale
- Tweaked look of level up screen
Graphics
- Gravestones and monuments on the world map are 20% smaller
- New graphics for roof tiles, grass, camp supplies and late game units
- Tweak to the road image
Fixes
- Fix to how Mass Haste, Harass, Killing Momentum work
- Tweak to the colour coded move range sometimes not showing properly on hills
- Tweak to Blade storm wording
- Tweak into the look of bardic performances
- Fix for a few hidden depths can never reveal
Battle maps
- Added tents and crates to some battle maps
Misc
- Tweak to wording of Blood Grudge tooltip (again)
- Tweak to text from cast Mass Hastes
- Tooltips won't go off the screen on the Founding page
AI
- Tweak to AI to avoid walking on damaging barricades unless necessary