We're back with a quick hotfix (is it still hot if the update has been out for a week?) on Online connections between players. We wanted to thank you for the amazing reception of our latest update, The Sun Wukong Update. We're so glad that you enjoy this new character and the matchmaking system! The game is sitting currently at 82% recent positive reviews, that's wonderful and the team really appreciates your feedback.
Anyway, here's a little recap of the hotfix and our current investigated issues, with full transparency:
:: Hotfix 0.15.02 ::
Fixed bugs
Online: Fixed a bug related to P2P connections. May improve your experience if the online co-op has worsened since The Sun Wukong Update (0.15.01)
Currently investigated issues
Desynch / Random disconnection issues
High PINGs
We've already tackled many of the network issues since the beginning of the Early access, but some online problems remain and are harder to track down and eliminate (starting to sound less like debugging and more like hitman-related stuff...). We want to make our thinking and process clear, so here's a little transparency on what we're working on and what we have identified:
Why it has trouble working: When players are having trouble establishing a connection in P2P together (because of firewalls, VPNs, location, etc.), our server creates a relay between them. We believe that it's this relay that creates packet losses and leads to extensive delays, intangible enemies, disconnections, and more.
Our first move, more immediate: We've located the issue with the relay, so our short-term move is to try several possible solutions to prevent more problems from happening. We're hoping this will help to create a more stable experience for co-op runs, especially with delays and intangible enemies. This patch is a first step towards those solutions. But this is not a miracle solution, so we do not believe we should stop there, as it won't help with the high PINGs people are reporting. We're also working on a more long-term solution, detailed below.
Our second move, asap: We will change our current service provider, so we can better distribute this relay across the world and benefit from a more stable solution. We've made some good progress with Epic Online Services (EOS) in the last few weeks and we are currently testing the integration of this new tech. We expect it to be a big structural change, so we want to make the transition as smooth as possible. This will help with all the general issues related to delays, disconnections, and high PINGs.
We'll keep you updated on this matter along with our progress. Our next patch will revolve around the improvements we are making with the matchmaking system, thanks to your feedback and reports.
The Steam Awards are here, it's time to pick your favorite games of the year.
Greetings, Ravens!
The Steam Awards are coming up, and we need your help! If you liked Ravenswatch, you can nominate it for the "Better With Friends" Award!
There are some games out there that just aren't the same when you play by yourself. Maybe you need to have a friend to watch your back. Maybe you need to have a friend that you can stab in their back. Either way, fun is awaiting those who gather friends together play this game.
The Sun Wukong update is now available for free on Steam! We are so happy to release this new Major update for Ravenswatch, which includes a whole new and unique playable Hero, a matchmaking feature, and more! Check our roadmap down below to follow the development of the game.
To celebrate the new update, Ravenswatch is also 15% off on Steam!
Watch the Sun Wukong Update trailer
Summary
A CURSED CROWN,
A GOD TURNED MORTAL,
THE MONKEY KING JOINS THE RAVENSWATCH!
A new hero joins the Ravenswatch: Sun Wukong! + Unique Talent: Yin and Yang stances + Unique Ability kit + 17 Talents + 2 Ultimate Abilities
Online Matchmaking
Pings on the map
Difficulty modes Overhaul
New options: Pause timer during choices, screenshake...
And more!
Read the full patch note here: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2071280/view/3807291946733085879
Get the Update
Update the game for free on Steam right now to start playing with Sun Wukong and get a ton of other new content for Ravenswatch!
Ravenswatch is currently 15% off on Steam until November 21th, don't miss it:
Ravenswatch Patch note - Sun Wukong Version 0.15.01
Greetings, Ravens!
The newest addition to the Ravenswatch is here! Sun Wukong joins the Ravenswatch in the latest update of our Early Access game. Take a deep dive into the patch note down below to see all the new content and changes.
You can watch our Update trailer here:
TL;DR:
Because we know our patch notes are lengthy ones and you probably just want to play, hereâs a âtoo long, didnât read!â summary just for you:
A new hero joins the Ravenswatch: Sun Wukong!
Matchmaking system
Pings on the map
Difficulty modes Overhaul
Three Little Pigsâ quests changes
Tentacle Master Nightmare nerf
New Options: Pause the timer when choosing stuff...
Read the detailed patch note below:
:: PATCH NOTE 0.15.01 (November 16th 2023) ::
đŚ = Community additions
New features
A new hero joins the Ravenswatch: Sun Wukong + Unique set of abilities + 2 Ultimate abilities +17 Talents: Stone Monkey, Thirst of Immortality, Supreme Polarity, Way of Awakening, Sprint, Celestial Pillar, Stick Twirl, Airbender, Ringing Beads, Resonance, Mantra of Balance, Thundercloud, Mind Fortress, One-inch Punch, Frost Tiger, Fiery Dragon, Divine Palm
Matchmaking system: Connect with players for quick matches + Find teammates + The layout for the lobby has been reworked
Pings on the Map: You can now ping anything on the map while in Co-op to indicate to your teammates the next objectives
Difficulty modes Overhaul: 4 levels of difficulty are now available instead of 10 Design Notes: We chose to reduce the number of difficulties for multiple reasons, but essentially because the multiplayer aspect of the game, especially with the introduction of public matchmaking, works way better if people can easily group and play together in a given difficulty. It also makes each step of difficulty really significant rather than adding minor modifiers that sometimes didnât feel impactful enough. âAdventureâ is similar to the former âNormalâ mode where âNightmareâ is even harder than the previous âNightmare 9â. â ď¸ Note: Please note that the progression on Difficulty levels has been reset with this overhaul. We want to reassure you that the rest of the progression is not affected, so Heroesâ Ranks, unlocked Talents & Magical Objects are fine and not reset! We hope itâs not too much of an inconvenience, but it was a necessary wipe (it mostly affects badges) since the system has completely changed. + Adventure: Game rules set by default ; 6 Ravenâs feathers ; Base XP + Twilight: Corrupted enemies can appear / Master Nightmares are stronger ; 4 Ravenâs feathers ; -10% XP + Darkness: Healing orbs heal less / Master Nightmares are even stronger! ; 3 Ravenâs feathers ; -20% XP + Nightmare: More high-rank enemies / All enemies are stronger! ; 2 Ravenâs feathers ; -40% XP
UI, feedback, and general improvements + đŚ Added the Cooldown of each ability in the description boxes + New Feedback when receiving large amounts of XP from activities and Bosses + Improved Hero Status notifications: new highlight colors should help differentiate statuses (Strength, Weaken, Max Health Up...) + Improved Heroes' "Strength" VFX aura + âIn combatâ is now displayed next to the character's portrait, not behind it, to make it more noticeable + Talentsâ Quests progress feedback now includes the amount of Damage or Armor gained as a reminder + Ultimate Abilities now have their own icon frame to avoid mistaking them for Legendary Talents + Added the Difficulty icon in the HUD + đŚ Glossary in the quick guide has been updated with the Vulnerable & Strength status + đŚ The game does not up the Difficulty after successfully completing a run
New Settings / Options + đŚ Option to pause the timer when choosing a Talent and Magical Object, and at the Sandman shop / in solo only + đŚ Option to disable Screenshakes + đŚ Option to contain cursor to window + Option to âHide session codeâ + đŚ âShow Mapâ input is now rebindable
Heroes adjustments
Scarlet: + âGusting Roarâ Ultimate (Wolf Form) can now be interrupted by any other ability and has a cooldown proportional to the time it has been used (with a minimum of 10s) + Fixed âPulverizeâ that was not applying âPyromaniaâ and âArmor Breakâ effects to enemies hit above the bombâs base radius + Fixed âPulverizeâ extra radius not being correctly applied in Wolf Form + Fixed bug of Power not taking into account Combo Points when âExplosive Rushâ is combined with âPulverizeâ (both now benefit from Combo Points properly)
The Pied Piper: + âPlague of Ratsâ Ultimate can now be interrupted by any other ability and has a cooldown proportional to the time it has been used (with a minimum of 10s) + âPlague of Ratsâ maximum cooldown set to 60s (from 90s) + Piper now gets back his rats properly while entering Cyclopsâ cave + Fixed âDeep Notesâ night shots producing double impacts on destructible props
Beowulf: + đŚ âDouble Shockâ animation is now quicker, it lasts only +0.2s (from +0.6s) compared to the default Shockwave (Power) + đŚ Significantly increased move speed during Special with âBladestormâ Talent + đŚ âBladestormâ additional spins now always deal 100% damage (from 90%/80%/70%/60%) + âRetaliationâ can now be interrupted by any other Ability + âFiery Slashâ now deals 400%/500%/600%/700% Attack Damage (from 500%/625%/750%/875%) + Fixed a bug that allowed âRetaliationâ to be cast in succession when triggered again at its end + Fixed a bug that made Beowulf fire deal excessive damage when applied to an already burning enemy in multiplayer (when playing as a peer) + Beowulf's trait is not blocked anymore when he is stunned by certain conditions
Snow Queen: Design Notes: The Snow Queenâs Attack was perceived to be a little slow and unreactive, we adjusted this to make her more dynamic and satisfying to play. + Increased Attack Speed and reduced base damage in the same proportion so it is more reactive and dynamic without damage per second change + âStrafeâ now sends up to 5/6/7/8 Attacks (from 4/5/6/7) + âFrost Rayâ Ultimate can now be interrupted by any other ability and has a cooldown proportional to the time it has been used (with a minimum of 10s) + âSnow Stormâ Ultimate is now disabled when a Snow Storm is already in progress plus cooldown will only start when Snow Storm ends
Aladdin: + âMajor Enchantmentâ effect is now inactive while game time is frozen (Chapter start Safe Zone) + âTornado Jumpâ base damage per second set to 40 (from 64) + âLeaping Strikeâ now deals 200%/250%/300%/350% Attack Damage (from 240%/300%/360%/420%)
Melusine: + âWisp Balletâ Ultimate can now be interrupted by any other ability and has a cooldown proportional to the time it has been used (with a minimum of 10s) + Fixed âSoothing Presenceâ effect that incorrectly remained active when Melusine was at Deathâs door + Fixed âBackwashâ stagger which is now correctly reduced in the same proportions as the damage it deals
Geppetto: Design Notes: Geppettoâs dummies had a hard time in Chapter 2 because of the scaling system of the game. We adjusted that so that they can now correctly keep up with Chapter 2 enemies. + Set Dummiesâ Base HP to 70 (from 80), set HP gain per level to 15% (from 10%) + Reviewed âUnstable Coresâ effects: + When created, DUMMIES have a 50% chance of being unstable + Hitting an unstable DUMMY with POWER - or if it is destroyed or dismantled - causes it to explode, dealing 80 area damage + âMeca-Puppetsâ cannot be Unstable anymore + âHeart Tiesâ armor bonus for Geppetto now takes into account âMeca-Puppetsâ + Fixed âMeca-Puppetsâ that could be built inside collisions / outside game zone + Fixed Dummies not taking into account DMG bonuses linked to âGolden Eggâ, âBloody Maryâs Mirrorâ or âOni Maskâ + Fixed Dummies being inaccurately targeted by some enemy attacks (like Tentacle Nightmares Night Shots) + Fixed âRootedâ status not being properly handled when using Dash with âRocket Scienceâ Talent + Fixed Meca-Puppets, which is now correctly playing specific animation when using âLaser Eyesâ
Balancing
đŚ Three Little Pigsâ quests: + Reducing resources to complete the quests to 15 for all party size + A part of the XP is gathered by constructing the house + Stone caves are revealed when the quest is triggered + Stones caves now have Dream Crystals + Straw camps can now have a chest, Vision Tower, or a Dream Crystal
Vision Towers: + Green Tower still reveals 4 points of interest and gives 300 base XP after being activated + Orange Tower now: + Reveals 6 points of interest + Gives 600 base XP after being activated
Dream Crystals: Design Notes: Dream Crystals were not consistent with other rewards, as they were the only ones that could be claimed without fighting. Note that Dream Crystals can still be destroyed and collected in combat, but it is now longer and more risky. + Dream Crystals are now protected and damage-resistant while the player is in combat + Big Dreams Crystalsâ shards values changed to: + 80-120 shards for green crystals + 120-180 shards for orange crystals + 160-240 shards for red crystals
đŚ Tentacle Master Nightmare (Chapter 1 Boss): Design Notes: We saw that Chapter 1 Boss was a bit too strong while Chapter 2 Boss could be a little more challenging (at least, as long as we donât introduce Chapter 3). We adjusted this as well as Chapter 2 Bossâ âSummon Eyesâ behavior, which could be frustrating when players didnât have time to kill all the eyes before he summons them again + Base HP set to 250 (from 300)
Faceless Master Nightmare (Chapter 2 Boss): + Base HP set to 400 (from 350) + After summoning Eyes, Boss gets Double Armor (-75% damage taken) instead of its regular Basic Armor (-50% damage taken) as long as some Eyes are still alive + Boss will not re-summon Eyes while some are still alive
Enemies: + Enemies summoned during events (like the Pig House assault) will not alert nearby wandering enemies anymore + Wandering enemies will now better check their distance and height with players to avoid joining fights when they are too far
Jinns: + Standard Jinns can now be slightly pushback by abilities + Storm Jinnâs Thunder attack now properly disappears on Jinnâs death
Undead Hogs: + Reapersâ Scythe Cleave base damage reduced to 18 (from 20)
Roc Birds: + Roc Eggs donât have collision anymore (harmonization with other enemies)
Fixed bugs
Major: + đŚ Textures setting: The game doesnât crash anymore when changing the texture quality settings + Magical Objects: Items cannot be duplicated anymore in multiplayer
Minor: + đŚ Magical Object: The Nibelung ring gives the ultimate charge properly if picked before level 5 + Sinbadâs Quest: Sinbad Quest HUD is now properly displayed for peers + Health bars: Fixed an issue where the enemiesâ health bars were not displayed for peers + đŚ Controls: Issue with PAD for selecting a Talent if contextual action was bound on A + đŚ Sound output settings: The game now properly reacts to changing sound output device
What's coming in the Sun Wukong Update - Dev Diary #05
Greetings, Ravens!
We're here with another Dev diary about the upcoming changes and updates of Ravenswatch!
Iâll try to be concise and make this post short, so letâs jump into the news right away! If youâve watched our recent Reveal trailer, youâll know Ravenswatchâs new update will feature a new playable character: Sun Wukong. Heâs directly inspired by the most famous Chinese classical literature hero, the Monkey King himself will join the Ravenswatch on November 16th.
Watch our Reveal teaser here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Ghkpy1ePQ Ahead of the release, we wanted to share a quick overview of the character, so youâll know what to expect from this new Hero.
Sun Wukong overview
Our version of Sun Wukong is deprived of his godly powers. His crown has been possessed by an unremovable force, sapping his powers and putting an end to his divinity. He is now raging and bitter about his new mortality. The loss of his powers has also made him return to his primal instincts and his ape-like attitude. That doesnât make him any less mighty as you can get an overpowered feeling by playing Sun Wukong, thanks to his fancy and flashy moves and his incredible mastery of martial arts.
We created Sun Wukong with the idea of Duality in mind. The first thing youâll notice with him is the Yin and Yang stances, that you can switch during combat. The Yang stance makes you deal +100% damage, but also take +100% damage. High risk and reward, but youâll also benefit from Strength for a short time. The Yin stance on the other hand makes you get Life on Hit for all of your abilities, as well as applying a Shield for a few seconds. Perfect for recovering the health you just lost by taking too many risks with the Yang stance!
You now understand, Sun Wukong requires more skill than any other character. And if you come from Curse of the Dead Gods, our previous game, you may be very happy to see the Parry make its comeback (sort of, itâs not exactly as punitive as Curse of the Dead Gods. Weâre not monsters). Youâll need to balance the two stances, take risks, block attacks, and grow stronger to bring Sun Wukong to his full potential.
We could talk quickly about Sun Wukongâs Ultimate abilities, but frankly, weâd rather let you discover them by yourselves! Sun Wukong will also come with 17 Talents to upgrade your main abilities, we cannot wait to see how creative your builds and strategies will be.
Matchmaking system
The Online Matchmaking system or quick match, whatever you want to call it, has been the Number #1 requested feature since the launch of Ravenswatch in Early Access. We had planned this feature for later in the development of the game, but after seeing the demand we decided to bring it sooner and move some other stuff for later.
In the Sun Wukong update, youâll now be able to look for Players online and create custom lobbies. Thatâs why the page on the right side has been modified a little bit to welcome the changes with the Matchmaking system.
We still consider it an early version of the system we have in mind, and itâs missing some key features like Vocal chat or more co-op information in the HUD, like the health of your teammates and such. Weâll improve the User Interface as well as make the connection more stable between the players in patches along the Early Access of Ravenswatch.
Even though there are no current Vocal features, it was impossible to release this matchmaking system without adding the simplest form of communication between the players: Pings on the map. Another highly requested feature that we decided to add in this update. Open the map and select a spot to ping it to alert players of your strategy or desired directions.
We hope youâll enjoy it! Just know thereâs room for improvement and weâll listen to your feedback and suggestions on the matchmaking system. It was just too important and requested to wait more before adding it.
Difficulty modes overhaul
Onto another big thing: the Difficulty modes! The release of the second Chapter, Storm Island, made us realize the need for an overhaul of the Difficulty system. It also fits with the new matchmaking system, as it is way easier to choose between 4 difficulty modes than 10 to find players across the world.
So what does this revamp mean? Weâve condensed the 10 difficulties (from Normal to Nightmare 9) into 4 tailored challenges, with a real feeling of an escalating difficulty. Basically, we did not really like how tedious it could get to reach the highest difficulty levels of the game, especially with now two Chapters and a third in the works. It is still up to balancing of course, and weâll probably rework it again for version 1.0 with more game-changing modifiers. But for now, it will do fine!
Weâve asked our community to share their ideas of new Names for those 4 difficulties, and they delivered! We made a poll on our Discord server to vote for the best ones and those who will make it into the game. And if you missed that, join our Discord server now for our next polls!
đ One note about those changes: we will need to reset your progression on Difficulties as itâs necessary for this overhaul. We hope itâs not too much of an inconvenience but the game being in Early Access makes it inevitable in some cases to not reset progress for some features. We want to reassure you that the rest of the progression is not affected, so Heroesâ Ranks, unlocked Talents & Magical Objects are fine and not reset!
Steam deck issues fixed
Quick but worthy of a mention: in case youâve missed the patch 0.14.03, weâve fixed the Steam deck issues with telegraphed attacks and some crashes. If youâre a Deck player the Sun Wukong update will be the perfect time to jump back into the game! Let us know what you think, but it surely runs smoothly now!
Check out the latest patch note: https://steamcommunity.com/games/2071280/announcements/detail/3704829977958308187
Community Questions
Will you add a Reroll mechanic for Talents or Magical Objects?
The Reroll suggestion is a frequently requested feature from the community, and we're totally into that! We'll have to think about how to implement it in the current game loop, but it's something that you can expect to see arrive during the Early Access.
Are you considering giving players some way to restore Ravens' Feathers?
Yes! We're currently working on the design of this new mechanic. It will require new content for both Chapters, as well as ideas for visual representations of the shrine/altar, but you can expect this in the near future.
Are Skins or cosmetics coming to the game?
Why are people so interested in Skins and cosmetics?! (no, actually we understand). The short answer is: Yes, but for version 1.0.
The longer answer is: We rather focus on core content and put priority on improving the already existing experience of the game. But with that said, we have already started designing some alternative skins for Heroes and all I can say is that they totally rock!
Live Showcase and Q&A
Join our Devstreams next week to learn more about the new Hero, Matchmaking, reworked Difficulties, and more!
Sun Wukong Showcase: đ November 13 đ 5 PM CEST
Sun Wukong live Q&A and Co-op đ November 15 đ 5 PM CEST
The team has finally moved to our new offices and we took some time to celebrate with friends and family:
Also, the replay of our Lead Environment Artist Romane is now available on YouTube. If you're interested in our artistic and production processes for Curse of the Dead Gods and Ravenswatch, you can watch it here (French only):
Sun Wukong will join the Ravenswatch on November 16! (Reveal Teaser)
Greetings, Ravens!
We at Passtech Games are delighted to reveal the newest addition to the cast of Ravenswatch: Sun Wukong, the Monkey King!
Watch our Reveal Teaser for Sun Wukong:
Our version of Sun Wukong is deprived of his godly powers. His crown has been possessed by an unremovable force, sapping his powers and putting an end to his divinity. He is now raging and bitter about his new mortality. The loss of his powers has also made him return to his primal instincts and his ape-like attitude. That doesnât make him any less mighty as you can get an overpowered feeling by playing Sun Wukong, thanks to his fancy and flashy moves and his incredible mastery of martial arts.
Get ready for November 16th
Alongside a new Hero, the Sun Wukong Update will bring its fair share of new content and features on November 16!
Sun Wukong joins the Ravenswatch with his own set of abilities and special trait, 17 Talents, and 2 Ultimate abilities
Ravenswatch Patch note (Steam Deck issues) - Version 0.14.03
Greetings, Ravens!
We have pushed a patch oriented on Steam Deck fixes, but also the missing Spiderlings in Co-op! Check out the patch note down below for a detailed look at the changes:
:: Patch note - Version 0.14.03 ::
Fixed bugs
Spiders: Fixed a bug where some spiderlings were not visible to peers in multiplayer
Steam Deck: + Fixed the Explosion/Attack indicators that were not displayed on Steam Deck + Fixed a crash when changing Chapter in multiplayer on Steam Deck
Currently investigated issues
Very long / Endless loading screen in Multiplayer
Desynch / Random disconnection issues
Canât join with code / No code is showing
Possible crash when changing texture quality in the Settings menu
:: Early Access Roadmap ::
:: Fan arts ::
Thank you all for sharing your beautiful artwork!
By @RevealYourSins
By @Slinaro
By @Mil
:: Social Links ::
Visit Passtech Games website: https://www.passtechgames.com
Follow the official Ravenswatch Twitter account: https://twitter.com/PlayRavenswatch
Follow Passtech Games on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PasstechGames
Watch us on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/passtechgames
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gaming/PasstechGames
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passtechgames
- The Passtech Team đ
Ravenswatch Hotfix (Game Difficulty) - Version 0.14.02
Greetings, Ravens!
We have read your feedback, watched videos and live streams, and looked at the data, and we can only agree with your reports and recent reviews. This huge and outstanding update that we had worked on and planned for months didnât meet your expectations on some levels, but we are here to remedy that!
While weâre planning more changes, here is a quick hotfix to resolve some issues. You can learn more about our plans in our latest Dev Diary and Roadmap:
đŚ Overall Difficulty: XP Boost Design Notes: In response to feedback, we've adjusted the game's difficulty to better match the game's new timeframe (6 days, 2 Chapters) and to give new players a better introduction to the game. The XP acquired by heroes is a pillar of the game's development, enabling them to tackle the map's advanced challenges more serenely, but also to be sufficiently prepared for the final confrontation. We've therefore adjusted the XP acquired during the game for the first difficulties to gently bring players up to the sustained pace required for the higher difficulties (Nightmare 6 and above, for which the difficulty remains unchanged). + Normal / Nightmare 1: +25% XP from any source + Nightmare 2 / Nightmare 3: +20% XP from any source + Normal 4 / Nightmare 5: +10% XP from any source + Nightmare 6 / Nightmare 7: No change
Nightmare Difficulty 8: Changed Nightmare 8 modifier, now reducing the amount of XP collected by 20%
Nightmare Difficulty 9: Nightmare 9 does not reduce the time limit anymore but removes 2 feathers instead (like the former Nightmare 8 modifier) Design Notes: For the Nightmare 9 difficulty, we have chosen to remove the additional time malus, which no longer seemed relevant, and to apply a change to Nightmare 8 in order to provide a tense and very challenging experience in these high-level difficulties. Note: As it was added in a hotfix, full localization for the Nightmare 8 modifier is not available (only French and English).
Faceless Master Nightmare: Design Notes: Storm Island's Master Nightmare did not correctly apply the Nightmare 3 and 6 modifiers designed to make it stronger. As a result, its setting was always the same for all difficulties. We've corrected this and adjusted its starting values to make it more manageable on difficulties lower than Nightmare 6. Its power is similar to the previous one from Nightmare 6 onwards. + đŚ By default, -20% overall damage, -30% overall HP + Now Properly scales with Nightmare 3 & 6 modifiers
Ranking points: Base ranking points for meta progression set to 125 (from 100)
Fixed bugs
đŚ Cyclops fight: Fixed the teleportation issue in Co-op preventing players from fighting the Cyclops
Beowulf: Fixed wyrm being stuck in air when Beowulf is stunned during a wyrm ability
Aladdin: Fixed second wish description displaying min/max shards amount in the wrong order)
Geppetto: + Fixed âNailing Strikeâ last attack that was not healing dummies properly + âFamily Meetingâ now takes into account Meca-Puppets for Dummies count
Roc Birds: Fixed a bug that could make some Roc Birds not hittable after being leashed
Faceless Master Nightmare: Fixed a bug where an FX stun was incorrectly displayed in multiplayer after it had been staggered
Treants: Fixed missing spawning behavior for Treants when summoned from a Grimoire or another enemy spawning event
đŚ Jinns: Fixed Jinns stuck in spirit form, resulting in being blocked permanently in combat mode
Known issues
Infinite loading in Lobby or Chapter Two in co-op
On Steam deck, some attack signals are not displayed
:: Updated Roadmap ::
Additionally to this hotfix, we are working on a new Difficulty System for our next Update, planned for Q4 of 2023. A new Hero will also join the Ravenswatch, and a first iteration of public Matchmaking will be available in the next Major update of Ravenswatch.
Join us on Friday, September 15th on Twitch to meet the devs and ask questions about our latest update or future content!
Watch us on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/passtechgames
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gaming/PasstechGames
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passtechgames
- The Passtech Team
Our latest Update - Dev Diary #04
Greetings, Ravens!
Oh boy, weâve got a lot to talk about! Maybe letâs start with the positive: Weâve received so much good feedback on Chapter Two since the Experimental Beta and now the release of the update. We wanted to thank you for coming back to the game and playing the new content, we know it was highly anticipated.
Now onto the problematic stuff about the update. We have read your feedback, watched videos and live streams, and looked at the data, and we can only agree with your reports and recent reviews. This huge and outstanding update that we had worked on and planned for months didnât meet your expectations on some levels, but we are here to remedy that!
Addressing your concerns
Looking at the feedback and data
What really stands out from all the data we collected over the last few days is how difficult the game has become since the last update, especially in solo. It has become adamant that we went too far, and we need to work on this issue quickly. If you were doing alright before the update, you are now struggling too much with the recent changes; and worse: if you were struggling before, you cannot simply win a run now. Our data is pretty clear on that: in normal mode, the success rate for completing Dark Hills before the update was 23%, and the success rate for completing both Chapters is now 8%.
You would believe that itâs pretty normal, right? We added a new Chapter to go through, thus making it harder to reach the end as you have to stay alive twice the time as before. Yet, we noticed that people now have a hard time reaching the end of Chapter One. Almost all the criticism we received was about the shorter timer, and how this is the reason the game is harder now. Itâs true, since most people cannot reach Chapter Two, they do have less time to explore, level-up and win! (The initial intention was to have MORE time since now you can explore two Chapters, with 6 cycles instead of 4). We believe we need to explain a little bit better why we made this change and why it was necessary (whether now or later).
Why the change?
In our patch note, we explained we wanted a dense and intense experience. By reducing the timer, we anticipated the fact that a run is now 40 minutes long instead of 25 (that is also why there were a bunch of ânerfsâ in this update, we had to balance things for two Chapters instead of just the one). Weâve also anticipated the third Chapter, coming later during this Early Access, which will also increase the final time of a run. We are aiming for between 1 hour and 1h15 for a complete run. This is how we should have presented the idea of a dense and intense experience from the beginning because it is the identity of Ravenswatch.
We announced the reduction of the timer back in July, and we tested that idea during our Experimental Beta tests a few weeks ago. It seemed that it was well received by the beta players at the time, perhaps the beta was played by more hardcore players, resulting in positive feedback about the change.
1 = It's too restrictive â / 5 = It's perfect now đ
Whatâs the solution then? (if thatâs possible to find in a few days)
Now this change resulted in a lot of negative feedback and worries, that are to be fair, completely valid! After analyzing lots of community content and feedback, we are trying to find solutions to the ramping difficulty issue, without changing the timer again as we know it is necessary for the future of the game (runs will be too long, and you wonât be confronted with choices to makeâŚ). Having a pocket-open world gives the impression that everything should be explored, whereas in a roguelike you still must make choices. Exploring everything wonât make you stronger, choosing to focus your time on Activities and participate in combat will. It was something that was possible only on Dark Hills as the time was extended, but now that Storm Island is here, goals are different. Changing the timer is not the solution, it will only push the problem for later when we add Chapter Three and the End game.
We believe XP is the most important resource in a run's success. While objects and Dream Shards are obviously crucial in building powerful synergies, it seems that a lot of people favor loot over Activities that offer huge XP boosts (Tumors, Quests...). The lack of positive feedback, when you complete those missions, is an issue we wish to address quickly in order to send the right message to the players during their run.
We are planning to rework the Difficulty modes system in our next Major Update (check the roadmap down below for details), but in the meantime, we will quickly patch the Shores of Storm Island update accordingly with the feedback we received and the data we collected. We will also rework in a future update how you gain Rank points in the meta-progression, as failing a run now makes it harder/slower to unlock new Talents.
We are rebalancing the whole experience, making the Normal mode and the first few Nightmare difficulties more accessible. Leveling up and reaching levels 4-5 before the end of Dark Hills wonât be a pain anymore. The modifier for Nightmare 9 (reducing the timer from 18 to 15 minutes) will also be updated.
We are also working on bug fixes, here is what we are targeting:
Cyclop co-op issues
Permanent combat mode, preventing you from doing anything
Loading issues on Chapter 2
Steam deck attacks zone issues
This is the first patch we are planning to address those issues. Your feedback and suggestions are always welcome and appreciated to finetune Ravenswatch during its Early Access period! Please remember the game is still in Early Access and everything is subject to be nerfed/buffed and rebalanced as we add more content and read your feedback!
Our main focus is to give you back the original experience in terms of difficulty and fun. You can expect the hotfix in the upcoming days.
Devstream on Friday 15th, come and ask your questions!
Still not totally convinced or reassured? Join us on Friday 15th for a Devstream on Twitch! Adrien (Game Director) and Margaux (Communication Manager) will talk about the Shores of Storm Island update, recent challenges, and answer any questions you still may have.
While weâre working on improvements for the Shores of Storm Island update, hereâs a new look at our updated Roadmap for the rest of the Early Access!
Our next update will add:
A new Hero joins the Ravenswatch! Any guesses or wishes?
The first iteration of Matchmaking! This was the #1 requested feature, we moved it up on our planning to give you access to the first version of the Quick match system.
Reworked Difficulty system, as explained above, we are working on this to improve the overall experience.
And more!
News from the Passtech team
Gamescom
Passtech Games recently participated in Gamescom 2023! We held a booth to showcase the Shores of Storm Island update to the press, it was quite a fun experience!
Moving out
Last month, we said goodbye to our old office to move into a bigger studio! The team expanded quite a bit since the launch of the game in Early Access, and we needed more room to properly welcome our new team members!
The Shores of Storm Island update is now available for everyone on Steam! After conducting a short but effective Experimental Beta, the new content and features are ready to be released to the world. This marks Ravenswatchâs second Major update, check our roadmap down below to see whatâs coming for the future of the game.
To celebrate the new update, Ravenswatch is 15% off on Steam from September 7th up until September 14th!
Watch The Shores of Storm Island update trailer
Summary
REACH the shores of Storm Island,
GAIN more power and talents in your journey,
DEFY the storm and the new Master Nightmare!
Chapter Two: Storm Island, a new map to explore
Defeat the new Master Nightmare
Fight the Cyclops to free Sinbad from his inevitable fate
+10 new Enemies to slay, including 1 new Mini-boss
+20 additional Talents for all Heroes
And more!
Read the full patch note here: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2071280/view/3692443175569940152
Get the Update
Update the game on Steam right now to get access to Geppetto and a ton of other new content for Ravenswatch!
If you were playing the Experimental Beta before, don't forget to revert to the 'None' version in the Betas tab of the game's properties.
Ravenswatch is currently 15% off on Steam until September 14th, don't miss it:
Thank you so much for participating in the Experimental Beta of Shores of Storm Island a couple of weeks ago. Your suggestions, feedback, and bug reports helped us shape the rest of this update.
If you want to keep your save from the Experimental Beta, follow these steps: â Open the Experimental Beta save repertory located here: \Steam\steamapps\common\Ravenswatch\_Save\storm_island_experimental_beta â Copy âProfile_1.obâ â Go to \Steam\steamapps\common\Ravenswatch\_Save and paste âProfile_1.obâ there â Click âYesâ when asked to replace the previous âProfile_1.obâ file â Launch the game and have fun!
â We recommend making a copy of your original save and storing it somewhere safe on your computer before replacing it with your Experimental Beta one.
New Roadmap
Stay tuned for our updated Roadmap!
Social Channels
Visit Passtech Games website: https://www.passtechgames.com
Follow the Ravenswatch Twitter account: https://twitter.com/PlayRavenswatch
