Added Stat Boost to Character Creator (button at bottom-center of screen). Spend gems to boost your starting stats/HP by up to +3 each, at increasing cost. The boosts apply even if you re-roll the stats, and you can change the boosts again before accepting the character.
Fixed incorrect cover art for 3 of the later Co-op scenarios in the sci-fi module. I had somehow forgotten to update these once the art was completed!
The Stat Boost addition came from two intersecting points of feedback. A couple of people had wanted more things you could spend gems on (in addition to trading them in for GP at the merchant, continuing after death, and unlocking races/classes), and a couple had asked about reassigning stat points when creating a character. I was sympathetic to the latter, but my vision there was for oldschool rolling up instead so I didn't want to change that. However I thought of a way to perhaps satisfy both desires somewhat - spending gems to boost some of the stats you want.
I have limited the boosts to a maximum of +3 per stat/HP so that it doesn't get too crazy, but I hope this enough to give you a little more customization - at a cost. Obviously this won't be possible on your first play (when you have no gems), but either repeated/aborted runs or later campaigns can take advantage.
By the way, be aware that gems are earned per Game Module, so gems from the fantasy game don't carry into the sci-fi module.
Next planned update will be some tweaks/expansions to the tutorial, then to rebuild the demo with the latest additions, and update the manual!
1.0.7 - Casual Mode becomes Campaign Difficulty
Casual Mode has morphed into a general Campaign Difficulty Setting. This is now always active, and has a default setting of 8, which is a little easier than the previous normal mode (which was 10). Changing it acts the same as Casual Mode (enemy damage is reduced by a %), including a setting of zero where you take no damage at all and deterrents are disabled. It now also goes up to 11 (like all good Spinal Tap fans do), for a little extra difficulty than the previous max. Freely adjust at any time during a campaign to match your comfort level.
Lowered the height of the fog effect that appears in some stages, as it obscured the dice a little too much for some people. Note these effects can be completely turned off in the Accessibility Settings, but it does destroy a lot of the atmosphere (and some effects are intended to make things more difficult for the player).
v1.0.6b - Addendum
Apologies for another update today, but I didn't want Campaign 2 Stage 1/2 to continue to be a stumbling block for some builds. Now Vampyric Serpents during the early waves of those stages will generally attack CON before HP.
Please do send feedback on any specific balance issues like this to the forum or Discord and I will address ASAP. While it is generally a hard game, I do want it to be a smooth curve so you will gradually try new abilities & tactics.
1.0.6 - Balance Update
Reduced the delay before a hint is given for an available dice match (the yellow circle and pulsing arrows above it) from 20 seconds to 12.
Removed 3x Vampyric Serpents from Campaign 2 Stage 1 and extended spawn delays slightly. Also removed some Necrotic Scuttlers from Stage 2. [thanks Erasium for the feedback]
Slightly reduced Vampyric Serpent's HP, Dmg, Resistance & Speed. They're still pretty evil with their regeneration though.
Beefed up the sheet's HP defences in Stage 1 of each campaign by 25% and Stage 2 by 10%, to help make up for the lack of gear you may have at the start.
Reduced qty of Slumber Bombs bought at merchant from 3 to 2. These were a little overpowered.
Launch Day for CrossOver: Roll For Initiative
Hello Adventurers,
The day we've all been waiting for is finally here! CrossOver: Roll For Initiative has officially launched on Steam. This journey has been incredible, and we couldn't have done it without your unwavering support and invaluable feedback. Your passion and insights from the demo have shaped the game into what it is today, and for that, we are immensely grateful.
We are thrilled to share our new launch trailer, showcasing the unique blend of puzzle, action and RPG elements that make CrossOver a truly one-of-a-kind experience. You can watch the trailer here:
One last thing: we have recently introduced Casual Mode. At the beginning of your experience with CrossOver you could feel overwhelmed by the pace; if that happens we suggest you try toggling this mode on in order to get familiar with the game’s mechanics.
Once again, thank you for helping us bring this unique mashup of strategy, action, and puzzle genres to life.
We will leave you with some new details from the game’s developer:
“Thanks to the amazing feedback from the Steam Playtest, the ongoing free Demo, and some great videos/streams playing CrossOver, I've made a whole host of changes and additions prior to release. Some of these are things people directly suggested (thank you!), others were things they complained about or felt were missing. Here is a list of some of those improvements from the past year or so.
Major changes:
* Replaced most of the UI! I used the paper/book theme throughout for a more consistent style, added hover sounds for clickable items, etc.
* Added a whole new game mode: Dice Defense! Lots of people asked about an option where they just played Match 3 with the dice, so this new mode features autobattling towers. If you choose, you can indulge in some extra strategy by repositioning your dice towers, changing their attack mode (spells vs physical), and upgrading their abilities. You can also use your Dice Ultras. Wait, what are they? See below!
* Added Dice Ultras to give you something extra to do with your collected dice if you have a bunch of unused ones. The standard Dice Blast can be used any time you have 40 or more dice of one type - spend 30 of them to do a wave attack, damaging all enemies. You also get special Dice Ultras based on your Race/Class combos. These do a range of things from healing you, gaining a chunk of gold, giving you various buffs, or applying status effects to all enemies. More recently, I put a little tooltip in the character creation screen for how they're meant to be used.
* Added a progression system to both Endless Mode and Dice Defense. You gain rank points every run based on your performance. Going up levels rewards you with extra starting abilities (some you choose, some you always get). Hover over the rank banner to see them.
* Added Hotkeys! 1-6 and F1-6 selects your spells or weapons. Hold SHIFT for a hint of which key matches which slot.
* Added the ability to reorder your action lists. Move your favorite spells, weapons, items or mercenaries to the top for easy access. This also has the effect of reassigning hotkeys. You can reorder slots while time is halted or between levels on the campaign screen.
* Added accessibility options: - disable screen shake. Some players felt it can be distracting. Note that the intensity of shake is related to the strength of melee weapons you use. - disable screen effects, such as underwater, fog, dust, heat. These were impacting some players' enjoyment, though I feel strongly that they should be left on unless absolutely necessary - they serve a gameplay purpose of distracting the player to make things harder, along with providing some visual diversity and immersion. - brightness slider for the dice tray. Some screens are darker than others, so this can help see the dice more clearly. While I don't have a colorblind mode, the dice are different shapes as well as colors, and I also recently tweaked their textures to make them much more distinct & vibrant.
* Behold, Casual Mode! A popular request due to the difficult and mind-bending nature of the game. This gives you a slider to adjust the % of damage enemies deal, even set it to 0% for god mode. Players can have a more chill, unhurried experience now if they want to. Note it only applies to Campaigns, so the leaderboards in other modes are "pure".
Minor tweaks:
* Made the onscreen hint about pausing the game ([TAB] = Halt Time) more obvious. A lot of people found the frantic action too hard and wished for a pause option... without realizing it was already there :D
* Added a prompt to alert players there is a Merchant available on the map screen. A LOT of players missed this.
* A slightly controversial one: changed the "execute attack" button to be RMB instead of LMB. When both select and attack were on LMB, it meant you couldn't attack spots on the sheet where you could select something instead. For example, if enemies were crowding around your items and you wanted to drop a grenade right in the middle of them, you couldn't. Annoying! With this change, you can now attack anywhere. You can also keep your current action selected while you play with the dice - attack, match, attack again without reselecting. Once you get used to it, this change feels great.
* Added little arrows to indicate the direction the dice will move after you make a match. Some players were confused about why they went one direction or another, so this is a visual hint that the dice will always move in the direction you moved the matching dice. For example, if you swipe left, the dice will fill from the right and move left. This is different to how Match 3 games usually work (always filling from the top), so I can see why it is initially confusing, however it gives you some extra control for making/saving up combos or working towards dice you need.
* Forced a prompt to try the Tutorial if you haven't already, when you first start a campaign. Also added more tips and info to the tutorial. Yeah, I know it's basic, but that's why there's a manual!
* Reduced the default volume. I love blasting the awesome music, but I guess it was too loud for some people. Maybe it still is! Ear-wimps.
* Balancing, balancing, balancing. Also added a warning that the Sci-Fi module is supposed to be much harder than the fantasy one, despite being unlocked at the beginning.
* And a million other things... from small visual tweaks such as removing the swirly effect on the red blockers when placing mercenaries, to making the "weapon not ready" error sound much less annoying. Still annoying? Maybe, but it's kinda supposed to be!”
Save the Date! Worldwide Launch Date Reveal
Hi Everyone!
I want to begin by extending my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for your unwavering patience and incredible feedback throughout this journey. Your enthusiasm from the demo has helped provide great feedback, shaping CrossOver: Roll for Initiative into its best launch-ready version today.
I am thrilled to finally announce that together with MicroProse, we have set a worldwide release date for CrossOver: Roll for Initiative. Mark your calendars, because the game will be launching on July 23rd on Steam.
For those who may be new to our community, CrossOver: Roll for Initiative takes classic concepts from traditionally 'casual' genres [Match 3 and Tower Defence], and fuses them into a strategically hardcore mashup that is unlike anything you may have seen on Steam.
If you love the experience of tabletop DnD and the creative strategy of building and min-maxing your character's stats, then you've come to the right place! Your success will depend on wise use of magical items, potions, gear and even hiring mercs to wipe out enemy hoards at the right time.
CrossOver also packs in multiple story campaigns plus a ‘Dice Defense’ autobattler mode, a procedurally generated ‘Endless Mode’ with online leaderboard, Co-Op challenges and a beautiful art gallery unlocked for each campaign. [Oh yes, there’s also a hidden game that is not ‘so’ hidden, complete with its own leaderboard too!]
In preparation for the launch, we have updated the game manual to provide you with everything you need to dive into the world of CrossOver. You can access the updated manual here. Inside, you will find detailed information on CrossOver's deceptively deep RPG progression systems, min-max strategies, and invaluable Match 3 tips to help you navigate every challenge that awaits.
Once again, thank you all for helping me realize a (fever) dream by supporting this unique mash-up of strategy, action and puzzle game genres.
Let's embark on this adventure together on July 23rd! See you in the game!
CrossOver Demo Updated
Thanks to everyone for the feedback on the demo. A few people thought the UI theme could use some work, particularly carrying the "papercraft" theme throughout, so I've done a revamp and have updated the demo, along with other minor tweaks from the main build. Enjoy!
CrossOver Steam Fest Demo Overview
A lot of people are enjoying the CrossOver: Roll For Initiative demo so far! A few people have asked about the scope of the full game and how it compares to the demo, so this post lays it all out.
The demo contains:
The Tutorial. This is just a simple introduction to CrossOver. Being an optional button on the front menu, a few people didn't notice it and were lost, so I've added a gentle prompt to try it first when starting the campaign.
The first 3 stages from the first campaign of the fantasy game module. This campaign in the full game has 7 stages, so it will be cut somewhat short in the demo. There are also some random "fighting fantasy style" encounters between the stages.
The first co-op scenario from the fantasy game module. You can host the game and control your character sheet's attacks, or join someone else's lobby as a client and control the dice tray. This way you can play the style you prefer and let the other player handle the rest!
A secret mini-game ;)
The full game contains:
Two entire game modules - these are the books on the top shelf. Included are a fantasy game and a sci-fi game. Future DLC might explore other genres such as Cthulhu, World War 2, or Weird West tableaus, for example. When you select a game you move to another shelf where all the campaign books reside for that game. Most campaigns are locked at first; you unlock them by reaching the minimum player level at least once in a previous campaign. Often by beating one campaign you'll unlock the next two campaigns.
The fantasy game has 7 campaigns, each of which has 7 stages. Each campaign takes around an hour to complete, on average. Encounters between stages are random depending on the campaign - one campaign has none, for example, and in another they are rare.
The sci-fi game also has 7 campaigns, each one containing 6 stages. Aside from having all new enemies and equipment, there are some balance changes to keep things interesting. As an example, you can have up to 6 Mercenaries in play instead of the fantasy game's maximum of 4.
There are 14 co-op scenarios (7 for each game module). Some of these are very tough challenges!
Endless Mode. This sees you facing infinite waves of enemies with a random character, finding random loot along the way. You earn rank points with each run and can gain starting bonuses by going up ranks. There is an Endless Mode for each of the game modules and they can be very addictive!
Dice Defense. This is a special mode where you primarily match dice while your "dice towers" automatically attack enemies, consuming the stock of dice you've matched. There is some additional strategy in swapping towers around, changing their attack types and upgrading them with special abilities, but if you prefer you can simply match dice and ignore everything else. Like with Endless Mode, you can gain ranks with starting bonuses, and there is a version for each game module.
Besides having the Tutorial and secret mini-game as in the demo, there's an unlockable art gallery with all of the gorgeous color art pieces from the game.
By the way, the full game has 15 races and 15 classes in each game module. In each campaign you choose from 6 races/classes, so the options vary across the campaigns.
As you can see, there is a ton of content in the full game. If you find the demo addictive, then there will be plenty more to come!
Crossover Steam Fest Demo
Developer playing and showing Crossover: Roll for Initiative
Crossover Steam Fest Demo
Developer playing and showing Crossover: Roll for Initiative
