Start

Next fest Demo and Beta

Official Release

v2

Final

Update List

1. [p]Save file selection menu simplified / Open menu with cancel button: [/p][p]Previously, you had to select the slot and then press the start button again, but many players considered this one of the most negative control experiences when first starting the game. So now, clicking the slot will immediately start the game. Also, in most PC games, pressing Esc during gameplay opens the menu, but Crawl Tactics didn’t follow this, causing confusion. Now, if there’s no cancelable function, pressing cancel (default Esc) will bring up the in-game menu.[/p]
2. [p] Basic keyboard shortcuts reorganized for left-hand use. Default mouse wheel button set to toggle screen panning: [/p][p]The previous keybindings were considered unintuitive and too spread across the keyboard. So, screen control/rotation keys have been reassigned to the left-hand side of the keyboard. Skill hotkeys are no longer assigned by default; instead, you can use them through the pie menu, which will be described below. Also, because many found screen panning inconvenient, the standard control of pressing the mouse wheel button now toggles screen panning.[/p]
3. [p]Mouse buttons and their functions can now be remapped: [/p][p]Default mouse functions have been changed, but since preferences vary by player, each mouse button can now be assigned a different function. Additionally, if the mouse has back and forward buttons, you can assign functions to them as well.[/p]
4. [p]Added equipment window button next to quickslot when using keyboard/mouse. Pressing the selected unit again now opens pie menu instead of equipment window: [/p][p]Initially, I thought it was convenient to open the equipment window by pressing the selected unit again. However, based on gameplay footage and feedback, many didn’t know how to open the equipment window. So a separate button has been added for it. Now, pressing the selected unit will bring up the pie menu instead. A dedicated button has also been set to open the pie menu when using keyboard/mouse controls.[/p]
5. [p]Pie menu improvements:[/p][p]The pie menu, previously used only in gamepad mode, was inspired by FPS games like Quake Remastered. However, the hold-to-select method caused confusion. Now, the pie menu appears when you press the button and disappears when you press it again. Also, with keyboard/mouse controls, moving the mouse to the bottom of the screen every time to use skills was inconvenient, so the pie menu is now available in keyboard/mouse mode too. In relation to this, when using gamepads in handheld UI mode, the bottom quickslot and skill slots no longer appear on the screen. In exploration mode, buttons were added to the pie menu for map and moving to another room. This was added because room transitions were often hard to see, obscured by terrain, or troublesome to click on. In combat prep mode, a card use button has also been added to the pie menu.[/p]
6. [p]Added ability to move cursor with D-pad / Use analog stick like a mouse / Analog stick bindings now customizable: [/p][p]For gamepads, many players—especially fans of classic tactics games—prefer to use the D-pad for movement. So a default binding for D-pad movement has been added. Analog stick movement remains the default, but you can switch to D-pad movement in the settings.[/p][p]You can also freely assign movement or panning to the left/right analog sticks, and by request, a mouse mode has been added that allows the analog stick to be used like a mouse.[/p]

Summary of Updates Since Version 2.6

1. CrawlPedia Improvements:
   Many pointed out that while the idea of the CrawlPedia was good, it lacked necessary information and was difficult to navigate. Now, you can access the CrawlPedia not just from the main menu but also during gameplay. A search bar was added to look up each entry, and we’ve included info sections for each stat and resource.
   
   
2. Enhanced Info on Proficiency/Knowledge:
   Proficiency and knowledge were often confused conceptually, and players lacked reference material. Now, small icons distinguish them. Clicking relevant stats in the stats window or the CrawlPedia will show you the list of skills that can be learned with that knowledge and all info on penalties/bonuses based on proficiency.
   Also, when skill books are quest rewards, the game will show which allied units can learn the skill. For equipment, units that are proficient with the weapon will be shown. When equipping a weapon with low proficiency, a confirmation message appears to reduce the frustration and confusion from unknowingly equipping poorly-suited weapons.
   
   
3. Improvements and Bug Fixes in Town Buildings:
   There was a bug in the tavern where hired units were always level 1, now fixed. Also, many found it inconvenient to manage unused skills, so we added a skill-selling feature to the Magic Research Lab.
   In dungeon mode, skills sold at the barracks scaled with dungeon difficulty, making it impossible to buy low-level skills in the late game and resulting in only level 7 summon spells spawning.
   To fix this, we changed dungeon mode to behave like quest mode, so skill levels in the barracks no longer scale with dungeon difficulty. A level cap was added to prevent only level 7 skills from appearing late game.
   Now, rare rings will also grant bonuses to non-summon spells, including melee skills and others.
   Skill scrolls can now be viewed not just by knowledge level but also by skill level (the basis for barracks spawns), and we added a button to view this info from the barracks.
   
   
4. Unit Appearance:
   Many requested the ability to customize the appearance of hired mercenaries. You can now change their appearance from the equipment screen. We also added a checkbox to hide armor if it doesn’t look good.
   
   
5. Combat:
   As the number of units increases, the fixed battlefield size became an issue. Now, the battlefield size changes based on the number of allied units.
   From watching gameplay videos by streamers, we noticed that familiars like wolves would rush into battle without hesitation, causing problems for players. While you can change familiar AI mid-battle, many are unaware or forget to do so.
   To fix this, AI units now act after the player ends their turn, so they don’t act first. Their strategy is displayed above their HP bar, and it flashes during battle prep to catch the player’s attention.
   We changed the default strategy from neutral to defensive, so they’ll only move if there are enemies to attack. A retreat strategy has also been added, where units move away from enemies.
   
   
6. Unlocking:
   Previously, new units were unlocked only upon game over. Now, units are unlocked whenever you reach town based on the number of soul stones collected. Soul stones can now also be used for unlocking in quest mode, not just dungeon mode.
   

Final Major Update Roadmap

1. Mod Support:
   The goal is to allow players to play how they want, beyond debug parties or custom difficulty. The game’s data is stored in pseudo-JSON files, so simple mods can be made by editing values.
   You’ll be able to create custom classes and skills, and multiple mods will run independently.
   However, due to resource constraints, there won’t be a dedicated GUI editor; mods will be edited via text files.
   We’ll provide example mod files and upload them to the Steam Workshop for players to follow.
   
   
2. Combat Variety and Interesting Battles:
   Currently, enemy AI just rushes the player. We’ve developed patterns like retreating or defending from high ground to encourage varied strategies and break away from kiting-dominated gameplay.
   Undead enemies revive after a few turns, but are vulnerable to healing magic. Since most healing scales with max HP, late-game enemies—especially final bosses—are too weak to healing spells.
   We plan to introduce support enemies that make allies immune to holy magic to prevent parties from becoming too overpowered.
   Depending on dungeon type, we’ll also add enemies that are immune to specific magic or grant immunity auras, encouraging use of a wider variety of skills.
   
   
3. Balancing:
   AP (Action Point) increase mechanics have been problematic from the start. AP increase is too strong compared to other benefits, so players always prioritized it.
   We’ve decided to remove AP increases for all characters rather than trying to balance it for every class.
   Instead, we’ll introduce skills that increase AP only under certain conditions, like the old Nightside Burst.
   AGI (Agility) increasing movement range was also an issue. While removing AGI-based movement boosts entirely is an option, we’re leaning toward exponentially raising the AGI required and capping max movement.
   Since complex terrain makes movement feel restrictive, we plan to increase base unit movement from 3 to 4 and jump height from 1 to 2.
   
   
4. Terrain/Battlefields:
   We revised the terrain generation algorithm to produce more natural-looking maps. Current maps have awkward visuals and contribute to movement-related issues.
   We’re testing a new battlefield generation algorithm.
   We also received many requests for trap placement improvements and new trap types.
   While not yet implemented, we’re considering improving the trap algorithm and adding new traps.
   However, we’ve added pots that change weather or temperature, such as causing rain or random lightning strikes each turn, and are testing such environmental hazards.
   

• Screen Rotation Animation Added: An animation has been introduced to reduce confusion during screen rotation.
  
• Fast Travel Feature Added: Rooms that have already been explored can now be quickly accessed from the map screen.
  
• Unlock Information Screen Improved: The number of souls required for unlocking is now displayed, and units with similar traits are unlocked together, reducing the total number of soulstones needed.
  
• Turn Message Speed Option: An option has been added to allow the turn messages to transition faster.
  
• Tutorial Improvements: Several bugs were fixed and the content was adjusted to make it easier to understand.
  
• 4K Screen Support Enhanced: The default screen zoom has been appropriately set for 4K resolution.
  
• Pixel Perfect Movement on Mouse or Analog Stick: Movement on the screen using the mouse or analog stick has been improved to work in pixel-perfect precision.
  
• Warning Added When Moving to Corrupted Rooms: A warning has been added when moving to corrupted rooms.
  

• Now, even if the ‘Remove Ally Corpses’ option is enabled, weapons will drop from ally corpses after the battle ends.
  
• Bug Fix: Fixed an issue where the Alchemist would not take the Philosopher’s Stone during the Philosopher’s Stone event.
  
• Bug Fix: Fixed an issue where the description for Dual Gun Mastery was not displayed.
  
• Bug Fix: Fixed an issue where summoned units' levels always appeared as 1.
  
• Balancing: Changed ranged overwatch to apply only at the edges of the attack range.
  
• Bug Fix: Fixed an issue where equipping a shield to a non-leader unit in the equipment tutorial made progression impossible.
  
• Bug Fix: Resolved an issue preventing the settings menu from opening during the tutorial.
  
• Bug Fix: In Quest mode, if the inventory is full when receiving a reward, the reward item is now sent to the storage.
  
• Bug Fix: Corrected description of Extra attack skill