Okay, all our cards are on the table, it's time to listen to Riff Radio!
Early Access Patch #29 focuses on furthering stability and balance as we look towards Full Release and a new Backstage Pass! This Includes an updated card layout for added readability, a number of bug fixes and another balance pass.
Card Layout Update
We have updated the card layout to help with readability and clarity. The changes can be seen in the image below: The cards are a little taller now to accommodate a bigger font size in the description.
Balance Changes
Card Changes:
"Calming Keys" +1 protection.
"Pause For Water" +1 hype and draw 1 self.
"Inside Joke" no longer takes hype from opponent based on crew, +2 hype.
"Hyper Jam" now exhausts, gives 3 hype for every 3 performance cards on overwrite and no longer costs 8 hype on overwrite, Upgrades "Vindictive" and "Reactive" replaced with "Speedy" and "Maintain"
"Free Style Rap Verse" renamed "Free Style Verse"
"Nice Note From Mum" now has all the band draw 3 cards on draw.
"Free Jammin' (Guitar and Bass) upgrade "Zen" changed to give 2 hype per 3 performance cards. "Clever" upgrade on guitar removed.
"Groovin' Your Heart Out" upgrade "Aggressively" removed.
"Parody Jam" no longer gives any hype on overwrite.
"Grand Hook" upgrade "Vindictive" replaced with "Exploding"
"Distracting Dancing" upgrade "Heavy" replaced with "Exploding"
"Buddy" upgrade "Sacrificial" replaced with "Protective"
"Instrumental Jam" upgrade "Protective" replaced with "Reactive"
"Thought Out Prep" gained "Attractive" upgrade.
"Recognition of Rubbish" added "Defensive" upgrade.
"Rolling Bridge" upgrade "Clever" replaced with "Insulting"
"Jazzy Hook" (Bass) upgrade "Informative" replaced with "Pensive"
"Starting Taps" upgrade "Safe" replaced with "Defensive"
"Quick Riff" upgrades "Mean" and "Safe" replaced with "Soft" and "Wicked"
"Fingers Furious Keys" upgrade "Safe" replaced with "Protective"
"Soft" upgrade adds on play draw 1.
"Clever" upgrade now is -4 hype for opponent.
Moment Changes:
"Warm Bubbling" moment Speedy Soak option now gives Cards as well as morale.
"Bright Lights and Quiet Music" moment options now cheaper.
"The Sacrifice" no longer has option to sacrifice money.
"Sad Puttering and Hot Air" moment options updated to be more balanced.
"Clever Lines and Cheering Crowds" moment now can give players a "Free Style Rap Verse" card.
"Cheers and Grunts" moment no longer has a "Grab a drink" option no more max morale changes.
"Choreographed Shouts and Threats" moment no longer gives morale except for Star-crossed option.
"The Dark Alley" moment "Run Away" now gives 1 more morale when successful.
"Rumble of Machines" moment "Play a Game of Toader" results updated.
"Arf Arf" moment "Cuddle with the Dog" option now gives a "Yielding Howl" and less morale.
"Eyes in the Sewer Grate" option to "Run Away" no longer gives morale, options updated.
Gear Changes:
"Champion Belt" modifies all cards in hand +1 hype on use.
"Big Cow Bell" now puts 1 "RELAX!" in hand on use.
"Battle Bot Drum Machine" costs $20 less.
"Drum Spikes" costs $20 more.
Bugs Fixes and Quality of Life
Moments now have a more consistent use of punctuation.
Offline mode steam achievement issues fixed.
Scroll bar added when needed for card upgrades in compendium.
Music video moment added to compendium.
Outro text of a run shortened to be more readable.
"Yellow Submarine Ride" now gives hype for 3 shows as described.
Hotkey added for end turn "Enter."
Cold Snap cosmetics added to Joe's Variety.
"The Final Judgement" particles fixed.
"Strands Side Part" hair issues fixed.
New Card offerings should now correctly include cards unlocked in higher instrument levels in all situations.
Highest resolution no longer creates any black bars on Tour map screen.
Pause icon updated.
Low Morale flashing animation bug fix
"Energy" card icon set to SRGB
There's something gleaming on the horizon...
Is that the moon?? Stay tuned for more info on the new Backstage Pass, which is filled to the brim with shiny new cosmetic items for your band!
And that's all we have for today's broadcast! Thanks for listening to Riff Radio and be sure to come hang out in our discord to find bandmates and keep up with the latest news!
Battle Bands is On Sale For Steam Strategy Fest
Steam Strategy Fest is here and Battle Bands is 30% off to celebrate good planning and great fun!
With the recent addition of Offline Mode and Full Band Control you can take on Riff City anywhere without need for an internet connection until you are ready to show off your brilliance and strategy to the world in a Grand Royale!
And as a treat for all those celebrating Strategy Fest we added a login cosmetic for all who play during this celebration of strategy.
To learn more about Battle Bands and meet other people coming up with clever new ways to win head over to our Discord!
Battle Bands Hotfix!
Just a quick hotfix to update the in-game news with info about offline mode and a fix to the achievements.
Also, here's a pic of more of our wonderful pets (Bodhi and Shao Khan Left to Right) to round out this very short update a little!
Thank you all for the continued feedback!
Battle Bands Early Access Patch #28
Having a hard time connecting with other people? Well now you don't have to! Welcome back to Riff Radio.
Patch #28 focuses on stability and playability by adding an Offline Mode, peer-to-peer co-op in Tour Mode, and a whole lot of other small updates.
Offline Mode
With Patch #28, Battle Bands Tour Mode is now playable Offline. When players launch Battle Bands without an internet connection they will be prompted with an option to continue in Offline Mode. This will allow them to play single-player Tour Mode, earn Backstage Pass rewards, claim Milestones and spend credits at Joe's Variety (formerly known as the Shop). Royale Mode and the High Score system will only be available when connecting while online. Offline Mode will help more players play Battle Bands more easily and that (we think) is awesome. In addition to Offline Mode, co-op Tour Mode now uses peer-to-peer connections for extra reliability. We also added Steam Cloud support to the Battle Bands save system to make it easier to play saved Tours anywhere!
Balance Changes
Boss Changes
Scrap Titan: 1 fewer "Glitch" at all Tour levels, "Power Down" no longer discard hand - now has 7 Capacity and gives 0 Hype. "Quick Smash" now gives 1 more Hype.
Freeto's Four Piece: "Peaceful Meal" now costs 1 fewer Energy, "Barbecue Sauce" costs 1 fewer Energy, "Finger Licks" now gives 1 more base Hype. "Nugget of Wisdom" now gives 1 Protection.
Caper Crew: +1 Energy at Tour Level 1, "Bribing Bridge" +1 Hype and +2 Money to the prize pool, "Pilfered Phrases" +1 Hype. "Stolen Riff" now gives 6 Hype and 11% of opponents last turn as well as 1 more Money to the prize pool.
Jackal Brothers: Base Hype Goal raised by 10, "Varmint Shuffle" +2 hype, "Reckless Ride" +3 hype, "Howling Organ" +1 Hype.
The Bardbarians: "Cutting Chords" +1 Hype, "Twinkle Twinkle" +1 Hype, "Beat In The Deep" +2 Hype.
The Skidmarks: "Sick Burn" +1 Hype, "Riff On Your Outfits -1 more Hype to opponent, "Tricky Bridge" +1 Hype.
Real Good Boys: -1 Energy at Tour Level 1 & 2, 1 Fewer "Bad Dog".
Mighty Mighty Good Boys: "Beg" exhausts, +1 Hype, +1 Protection, now gives one "Treat" to a random opponent instead of each opponent.
All Boss Decks updated for more gradual progression with Tour level.
Royale Bots power balanced to be stronger in later rounds.
Card Changes
"Really Appreciate The Band" gives 1 fewer Hype, is now Tier 2, "More" upgrade replaced with "Wicked"
"Stretching Break" upgrade "Attractive" replaced with "Defensive"
"Sick Lick" upgrade "Hard" replaced with "Defensive"
"Well Prepared Interlude" now gives 3 Protection on complete
"Hot Hook" takes 3 Hype from opponent on complete, instead of 2
"Signal The Bouncer" upgrade "Protective" replaced with "Defensive"
"Rip Off Riff" now has Retain
"Recognition of Rubbish" +2 Hype
"Thought Out Prep" upgrade "Speedy" replaced with "Empowering"
"Hypnotic Lick" now costs one Energy and gives 1 Hype
"Crane Keys" +1 Hype
"Echoing Beats" upgrade "Pensive" replaced with "Exploding"
"Grand Hook" now has upgrades "Fierce" and "Vindictive", +3 hype, and Exhausts
"Wary" adjusted weights to have bots play it less often
"Deafeningly Loud Verse" upgrade "Aggressively" replaced with "Insulting"
"Free Style Rap Verse" upgrade "Exciting" replaced with "Speedy"
"Off Key Notes" +1 Hype
"Sick Riff" upgrade "Ruthless" replaced with "Power"
"Lick That Is Stuck In Your Head" now discards two selected cards on play
"Instrumental Jam" +3 hype
"Wreck and Repeat" has Retain
"Crowd Surf" has Retain
Bot weights updated for many cards to improve behavior.
Quality of Life
"Step Step Twist" moment options updated to be cheaper.
"Man With A Sign" moment updated with a new option for players.
"A Bright Light From The Sky" moment updated so Bassist gets "Story Introduction"
New Vendors have been added to each Reign in both Royale and Tour for added variety.
New loading screen art.
Animation added to Tour opening.
Tour UI updated.
Main menu UI updated.
Miscellaneous Small Fixes and changes.
With all of that we also added a new cosmetic to go with Strategy Fest and celebrate all the thinkers and tinkerers who play Battle Bands and the other awesome strategy games on Steam!
And that's a wrap on today's broadcast! Remember, if you get lonely in Offline Mode, you can always turn your internet back on and come hang out in our official Discord server. Thanks for listening!
Battle Bands has Joined Strategy Fest!
Battle Bands is focusing on brilliant plans and devious schemes as it goes on sale for 30% for Steam's Strategy Fest; celebrating the awesome strategy games on steam and the clever minds of those who enjoy them.
If you are interested in learning more about Battle Bands or have comments, questions, or the hankering to find opponents and bandmates - come visit our Discord where Battle Bands strategies are discussed and feedback is greatly appreciated!
Battle Bands Hotfix!
Just a quick hotfix to update Sirens Scream to be less cruel to those using Crew and a fix to the problem where Bosses end their turns early after passing energy.
Siren's Reign changes:
"Hypnotic Lick" gives +2 more protection.
"Imitating Interlude" is now tier 4 and gives 2 more protection on complete.
"Rip Off Riff" costs 1 less energy.
"Mirroring Melody" gives 1 more protection on complete.
Siren's Scream Changes:
"Harrowing Harmony" has 1 fewer capacity.
"Wail Of The Sea" no longer takes any protection and has +4 hype.
"Captivating Chorus" has 2 more capacity, 2 more hype on complete and gains 24% of other teams last turns hype.
"Alluring Aria" Gives +2 hype and no longer modifies crew, and gives 1 fewer protection.
"Playful Pulse" Gives +1 hype and 1 fewer protection.
Additional Changes:
Players can now use the "Give Energy" button from any bandmember they control when using Manual Bot Mode.
Also when using Manual Bot Mode, the "End Turn" button is now available from any bandmember a player controls not just the player character.
Opponent bots should no longer end their turns after passing energy.
Here is a pic of Bella who is surprised by how many hotfixes we are releasing!
Be sure to roll over to our Discord to share your thoughts or recruit some new bandmembers!
Battle Bands Hotfix!
Just a quick hotfix to update the in-game news with info about the recent Single Player Update.
Also, here's a pic of Poochie, Zach's dog, just to round out this very short update a little!
Thank you all for the continued feedback!
Battle Bands Early Access Patch #27: The Single Player Experience Update!!
Like a puppet on a six string, you're listening to Riff Radio and we've got some big news for you!
The Single Player Experience Update brings players a whole new level of control, allowing bot bandmates to be set to play Automatically OR MANUALLY- meaning YOU play for them! In Tour Mode, turn timers can be switched off and the Load In/Load Out timers are disabled entirely. Also, we're introducing the ability to select which Reigns your Tour will fall under from the Band Setup screen, along with the other settings mentioned above.
New Band Setup Options
Manual Bot Control!!!
Long awaited and much requested, players can now control all the members of the band! Simply access the hands of any bot bandmates you control by selecting them or using the number keys, then play their hand as you would your own!
No Time for Timers
Additionally, to go along with Manual Bot Control and because we thought it was fun, the option to deactivate turn timers has been added to Tour Mode. Disabling turn timers not only allows Manual Control mode to shine, it also allows for a much more calculating and deliberate Tour experience!
Bot Speed
Bots in Tour Mode can now be set to one of four speeds- Slow, Normal, Fast and Hyper. This will effect bot bandmates as well as opponents so you can either get a better look at what everyone is playing or shave a few minutes off your run and squeeze one more in!
Reign Select
Players can now choose which Reigns they may encounter when starting a new Tour. This allows anyone hoping to challenge (or avoid) a specific Final Boss to do so more easily, but there's a catch! All Reigns are active by default, and you have to beat a Reign first before you can choose to disable it.
You can find these new settings on the Band Setup Screen, so get in there and start playing around with them- we can't wait to see what kinds of wild strategies you drum up!
Quality of Life Changes:
Updated Bot weight to more efficiently deal with low priority cards and make sure not to waste as much energy. Tell bots what to play using the middle click ping on cards in their hands, in case you disagree with their priorities. This works with manual or automatic bots. All Load In/Load Out timers have been removed from Tour Mode.
Balance Changes:
"Strong Bassline" now gives +3 protection on complete.
"Smash The Keys" no longer self discards hand, takes 1 fewer protection from opponent.
"Keyboardists Cacophony" no longer takes protection from own band.
"Intense Keys" now modifies cards on play instead of on complete.
"Audacious Lick" upgrade "Heavy" replaced with "Patiently"
"Sad Melody" upgrade "Rejuvenating" replaced with "Safe"
"Building Backbeat" upgrade "Quickly" replaced with "Practiced"
"Riff Of Gratitude" no longer has "Daring" upgrade.
Over character pop out widgets now match pop up effect icons.
And that's all the news we've got for you big bosses today! We're always looking for feedback, but we need it even more than usual with this huuuuge update! Join our discord to share your thoughts and to find bandmates to try the new features out with! Thanks for listening!
The Single Player Experience Preview
An update for all the micro managers out there, Full Band Control is coming to Battle Bands!
Bot Control
No longer will bots be required when playing Battle Bands! Players will now be able to switch into Manual Control during the Band Setup. This will allow you and your Player bandmates to dictate every card your Band plays! On top of this, the option to remove Turn Timers in Tour Mode has been added for those who want to take it nice and slow. There's also no more timer pressure during Card Select or Upgrading in Tour Mode!
For those players who aren't looking for full control and enjoy playing with Bots, the option remains to use them. Both your friendly Bots and the Opponent Bots can now be set to either play faster or slower. This should help fit the vibe you want.
The update will also include numerous quality of life changes and balance fixes including a Reign Select which allows you to choose what Reign(s) you want to play, that is, after you've defeated that Reign once.
Hope you're ready for some serious control as the Single Player Experience Update comes to be by June!
Jump in your van and roll by our Discord to talk about the coming changes, or to recruit new bandmates!
