- Added all new loot FX. The new FX should make it easier to spot and grab loot. Rather than being images that often matched the items looted, they are more stylized and larger, to stand out from the dungeon geometry.
- Added new beam pillars for special loot items.
- Improved the Rescue scenario generator. It can now be larger, has more props per room, and additional prop types. The lighting was also adjusted in the area.
- Improved post-processing effects.
- The opacity material used when hiding objects that would otherwise obscure view is now slightly less transparent.
- Improved the character selection menu background.
- Fixed a grounding issue with the Mage character on the character selection screen.
- Fixed a bug on one of the props in the Trimming Their Numbers scenario, which could block doorways in rare cases due to a missing configuration flag.
The Hopebringer
v1.1.6 Build Notes
v1.1.5 Build Notes
- Implemented an improved generation technique should allow us to create denser prop layouts in dungeons without worrying about blocking off content. We will need to go through to each map and update it to take advantage of this. This will happen over the next few patches.
- Made tweaks to the Trimming Their Numbers landscape materials.
- Destructables will now clean up earlier. Though they will wait until they are off screen for a period of time.
- Made some optimizations to camp fire lighting.
- Improved the Defeat the War Leader generation scheme, fixing an issue that could occasionally cause blockage, and increasing the amount of ground clutter.
- Improved the Destroying Their Supplies generator to have more ground clutter and props.
- Bed rolls in the Outlands are no longer oversized.
- The Trimming Their Numbers scenario has received a generation pass, improving the ground clutter and props. And adding a treasure path to each generated instance.
- Improved the Retrieve the Artifact generator. It now has more props, and new types of props that had not previously been in the game.
Improvements to other scenarios will be coming soon.
The Hopebringer: First Week Summary
This update is a summary of the improvements made in week 1. It is categorized and sorted, where the initial build notes were not.
Combat
- Holding the shift key will now enter into block mode. It will cancel if you move or attack. While active, it will absorb up to 50% of the next incoming attack. That absorption will come at the cost of 10% of your power in relation to the incoming damage, rounded up. Meaning if you took 30 points of damage, it would absorb 15 points of damage, but cost you two additional power to absorb that damage as 1.5 rounded up is 2. If you only had 1 power and couldn't cover that, it would absorb 10 points of damage, as that is all that you could cover, and you would take 20 points of damage, instead of 15.
- Added a new Off-Balance status effect. Successfully blocking an opponents attacks at close range now has a chance to create a short Off balance debuff. This debuff will increase the effectiveness of knockdowns and knockbacks on that target while active. We will be adding more of these types of openings in the future.
- Added a new Vulnerable status effect. This will be triggered by attacks that stun, mesmerize, or knockdown targets, leaving them vulnerable. They will increase the potency of attacks against the target while in this state.
- Two handed weapons should now properly rotate towards the target if you are facing in the opposite direction from them.
- It should now be easier to connect with projectile attacks.
- Improved NPC targeting.
- Fixed a bug that could affect projectiles if the target was right on top of you.
Dungeons
- Introduced a new Retrieve the Artifact scenario. This scenario introduces locked gates which require you to find and interact with a statue to unlock them. This scenario has four such gates, which must all be unlocked in order to reach the artifact that is required. This dungeon is quite large, and is meant to be a more of a traditional dungeon crawler experience.
- Players will now receive the Destroy The Supplies, Trim Their Numbers, and Retreive the Artifact quests after doing the tutorial. So you will have some choice in what you want to choose to do from the early going, instead of being forced into a linear path. Existing characters will unlock those three missions as soon as they enter the hideout in single player mode.
- Hellworms can now appear in the Trimming Their Numbers, Destroying Their Supplies, Seal the Rift, Raiding Camp, and Defeat the War Leader scenarios.
- Spiders can now appear in most scenarios.
- Locked chests should now be a bit more common.
- Generator improvements to the Defeat the War Leader scenario.
Equipment
- Introduced new types of potions. This includes in some cases multiple tiers of potions which are more potent and last longer. These are available both as random NPC or chest drops, as well as being crafted through transmuting.
- Introduced a new Container type that you can use to store additional space in your inventory.
- Added new mage based clothing options including belts, gloves, boots, and head items specifically for mage types.
- Introduced new Anti-Venom consumables. These can be used to cure poison.
- Introduced new Cleansing Elixir consumables. These are the rare result when creating Anti-Venom. They can cure all negative effects.
- Added Flasks, which can be purchased off vendors. These are used for transmuting.
- Healing and Mana potion effectiveness will now scale better as you level.
- Improved the placement of the flaming particles on flaming long swords.
- Socketable items should be a bit more common.
- Improved some item descriptions.
- Fixed a bug that was causing non-magic War Maces to not render when equipped by a cleric.
Graphical
- Added new mage fire lighting props and FX for dungeons.
- Improved aura rotations.
- Improved a lighting issue.
Multiplayer
- Dodging with the arrow keys now works properly if you are a client in someone else's server. Previously it was only working for the owner of that server instance.
- Code optimizations to be able to better cache some server side code.
NPCS
- Introduced new spider enemies.
- Introduced Hellworms. These worms bury themselves underground in outdoor scenarios, and wll rise up from the ground to attack players, before disappearing back into the ground. These act similar to traps, except that if you can respond quickly enough you can kill them and receive loot.
- Created three new spawners type which will randomize the NPCs spawned in it using a theme that is unique to those that it spawns. Rather than using the dungeons theme. This allows us to have some dungeons like the one for the new Retrieve the Artifact scenario, which can spawn many types of NPCs on a single map. Currently this is randomly picking from the four NPC sets and theming each spawner with one of those. But in the near future we'll be introducing new NPC types. This means you could have some sections of a dungeon that feature orcs, others than feature demons, and others which feature spiders or lycanthropes.
- NPCs now have the ability to evade or dodge occasionally. Not all NPCs will do this. And the frequency with which they do varies. But you will see it from time to time in combat.
- It is now tougher to avoid dragon attacks.
- Spiders now have a leaping attack where they can jump in from long range, bite you, and then jump back out of range.
- Added quite a few new NPC special abilities. This was over multiple updates.
- Added new NPC taunt vocals.
- Fixed a bug that was preventing Barbarian Witch Doctors from being able to use their area of effect heal.
Special Abilities
- Introduced a new ability to the Berserker skill tree (Warrior). Spinning Strike. This ablity launches you forward, swinging your weapon wildly at those in your path. It has a chance to knockback affected enemies. It also receives a bonus to it's critical damage from the Berserk and Energetic skill levels, as well. This is to ensure that players who specialize more in the Berserker line can get more out of this skill, than those who put in less points to it.
- Added an Ignore Pain skill to the Guardian tree (Warrior). This is an instant use self-only heal. Additional skill levels increases the potency.
- The Inquisitor skill tree (Cleric) has a new Weaken spell. It reduces the strength and vitality of enemies in front of the caster. It will also cancel any strength buffs on targets.
- Added a new ablity to the Protector skill tree (Cleric): Ward. This ability is an PBAoE knockback which also grants a defensive boost to nearby allies. It requires Sanctifying Stun, and will receive a bonus to the radius and defensive boost for each skill level in itself, and each skill level of Sanctifying Stun.
- Added a new ability to the Witch line (Mage): Soul Drain. This is a PBAoE power drain which will restore the casters power with the power drained from enemies. It requires Siphon Life, and will give a bonus to it's radius for each level of Siphon Life. Additional Soul Drain levels increase the amount of power drained and restored.
- Off-Balance currently increases the potency of the following player abilities: Shield Smash, Leaping Strike, Spinning Strike, Ward, and Overpower.
- The following player abilities can now create Vulnerable openings: Overpower, Hold Undead, Sleep, and Sanctifying Shock. Vulnerabilities can also be created by some enemy abilities.
- Improved Siphon Life effectiveness. Both in its damage and lifetap percentage.
- Improved Vampiric Aura's lifetap effectiveness.
- The Strength ability (Healer) will now cancel out any active Weaken buffs.
- Spinning Strike now also receives a damage percentage boost based on the number of skill levels trained.
- Increased the radius of the Shield Smash ablity (Guardian/Warrior).
- The Flame Aura description now more accurately reflects what it does.
- Fixed a bug which wasn't allowing Mage Spirit's to cast their AoE lifetap ability.
Transmuting
- Added a transmuting guide to the forums: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1520420/discussions/0/3844430784756781970/
- Introduced 23 new transmuting recipes. Some of those are wildcard recipes that accept multiple inputs.
- Many transmuting recipes now have rare results. These results are less common but will occasionally give you a rare and more potent item.
- Added several new NPC dropped ingredients, which can be used to create potions via transmuting.
- Added new transmuting recipes that have wildcard/random results. This includes some which can create socketable items.
- Sacks of Transmuting have a new and improved inventory icon.
Traps
- Introduced Hellworms, which are a form of living trap. There are more details on them in the NPCs section.
- Floor spike traps now have a random time between when you move into their radius and they activate, to make them more difficult to avoid.
- Reduced the damage of falling gate traps.
User Interface
- The Consumable Item GUI now supports more slots.
- Made some adjustments to the stats window to give more room for advanced stats, and to wrap it into a scroll box, if necessary.
- You can now unslot abilities by using ALT+Left Click on the action bar icon. This was previously SHIFT+Left Click. But has been changed to make it easier to switch between blocking and attacking.
- Many objects have new map icons.
- Increased the duration of some tutorial tips to make them easier to read.
- Improved the Equipment tutorial tip to condense it's keys, and mention transmuting.
- The skill tutorial tip now mentions that you can train each skill up to 25 times.
Miscellaneous/Bug Fixes
- You now drop half the gold you are carrying on death, rather than all of it. You can help mitigate the loss of gold by depositing in the stash, which is available in most camps.
- Shopkeepers in the Trimming the Numbers scenario will now spawn further away from the walls.
- Added a new Steam Achievement, which will be rewarded if you complete the Retrieve the Artifact scenario.
- Multiple grounding improvements.
- Toned down the number of hellworms in some missions, as they were spawning a bit more than intended.
- Fixed a bug which allowed players to receive rewards more than once in the same instance.
- Reduced the distance that spiders will attempt to use the leap attack from.
We hope that you enjoyed this summary. You can expect many more improvements over the course of the early access period. Feel free to let us know what else you would like to see on the forums.
v1.1.4 Build Notes
Openings are a form of status effect that will make certain other abilities more effective when they are active. In the case of Off Balance, it will increase the effectiveness of knockbacks and knockdowns.
Blocking will absorb a portion of incoming damage, at the expense of 10% of the power cost of this. This is not a good trade off in early levels, because enemy damage is very low, and there is a minimum of a 1 power cost when it absorbs. It is much more effective against higher damage enemies, though. And has a chance to create an Off Balance opening when successful.
- Holding the shift key will now enter into block mode. It will cancel if you move or attack. While active, it will absorb up to 50% of the next incoming attack. That absorption will come at the cost of 10% of your power in relation to the incoming damage, rounded up. Meaning if you took 30 points of damage, it would absorb 15 points of damage, but cost you two additional power to absorb that damage as 1.5 rounded up is 2. If you only had 1 power and couldn't cover that, it would absorb 10 points of damage, as that is all that you could cover, and you would take 20 points of damage, instead of 15.
- Added a new Off-Balance status effect. Successfully blocking an opponents attacks at close range now has a chance to create a short Off balance debuff. This debuff will increase the effectiveness of knockdowns and knockbacks on that target while active. We will be adding more of these types of openings in the future.
- Off-Balance currently increases the potency of the following player abilities: Shield Smash, Leaping Strike, Spinning Strike, Ward, and Overpower.
- Added a new Vulnerable status effect. This will be triggered by attacks that stun, mesmerize, or knockdown targets, leaving them vulnerable. They will increase the potency of attacks against the target while in this state.
- The following player abilities can now create Vulnerable openings: Overpower, Hold Undead, Sleep, and Sanctifying Shock. Vulnerabilities can also be created by some enemy abilities.
- Code optimizations to be able to better cache some server side code.
- Reduced the distance that spiders will attempt to use the leap attack from.
- You can now unslot abilities by using ALT+Left Click on the action bar icon. This was previously SHIFT+Left Click. But has been changed to make it easier to switch between blocking and attacking.
- Increased the duration of the scenario tip in the Hideout.
- Increased the radius of the Shield Smash ablity (Guardian/Warrior).
v1.1.3 Build Notes
- Spinning Strike now also receives a damage percentage boost based on the number of skill levels trained.
- Generator improvements to the Defeat the War Leader scenario.
- Fixed a bug that was causing non-magic War Maces to not render when equipped by a cleric.
v1.1.2 Build Notes
- Slightly increased the duration of some tutorial tips to make them easier to read.
- Improved the Equipment tutorial tip to condense it's keys, and mention transmuting.
- The skill tutorial tip now mentions that you can train each skill up to 25 times.
- Toned down the number of hellworms in some missions, as they were spawning a bit more than intended.
- Multiple grounding improvements.
- Locked chests should now be a bit more common.
- Socketable items should be a bit more common.
v1.1.1 Build Notes
- Spiders now have a leaping attack where they can jump in from long range, bite you, and then jump back out of range.
- Introduced Hellworms. These worms bury themselves underground in outdoor scenarios, and wll rise up from the ground to attack players, before disappearing back into the ground. These act similar to traps, except that if you can respond quickly enough you can kill them and receive loot.
- Added new transmuting recipe which utilizes Worm Skin. This unique ingredient can produce numerous different results, though it will primarily be used for potions. It can occasionally result in a socketable item.
- Hellworms can now appear in the Trimming Their Numbers, Destroying Their Supplies, Seal the Rift, Raiding Camp, and Defeat the War Leader scenarios.
v.1.1.0 Build Notes
- Introduced a new ability to the Berserker skill tree (Warrior). Spinning Strike. This ablity launches you forward, swinging your weapon wildly at those in your path. It has a chance to knockback affected enemies. It also receives a bonus to it's critical damage from the Berserk and Energetic skill levels, as well. This is to ensure that players who specialize more in the Berserker line can get more out of this skill, than those who put in less points to it.
- The Inquisitor skill tree (Cleric) has a new Weaken spell. It reduces the strength and vitality of enemies in front of the caster. It will also cancel any strength buffs on targets.
- The Strength ability (Healer) will now cancel out any active Weaken buffs.
- Two handed weapons should now properly rotate towards the target if you are facing in the opposite direction from them.
- Added new NPC special abilities.
- Shopkeepers in the Trimming the Numbers scenario will now spawn further away from the walls.
v1.0.9 Build Notes
- Added an Ignore Pain skill to the Guardian tree (Warrior). This is an instant use self-only heal. Additional skill levels increases the potency.
- Added a new ablity to the Protector skill tree (Cleric): Ward. This ability is an PBAoE knockback which also grants a defensive boost to nearby allies. It requires Sanctifying Stun, and will receive a bonus to the radius and defensive boost for each skill level in itself, and each skill level of Sanctifying Stun.
- Added a new ability to the Witch line (Mage): Soul Drain. This is a PBAoE power drain which will restore the casters power with the power drained from enemies. It requires Siphon Life, and will give a bonus to it's radius for each level of Siphon Life. Additional Soul Drain levels increase teh amount of power drained and restored.
- Added new NPC special abilities.
- Added new NPC taunt vocals.
- Fixed a bug which wasn't allowing Mage Spirit's to cast their AoE lifetap ability.
v1.0.8 Build Notes
- Introduced new spider enemies.
- Spiders will drop a new spider venom item which can be used to create Anti-Venom via transmuting.
- Introduced new Anti-Venom consumables. These can be used to cure poison.
- Introduced new Cleansing Elixir consumables. These are the rare result when creating Anti-Venom. They can cure all negative effects.
- It is now tougher to avoid dragon attacks.
- Improved NPC targeting.
- Healing and Mana potion effectiveness will now scale better as you level.
- Improved some item descriptions.