Dungeon Defenders: Awakened News

DEFENDERS,

We’re giving an update on where we are currently with the SUMMONING THE DEMON LORD update, bringing the Demon Lord boss fight, as well as the much anticipated Nightmare difficulty! There’s been a lot of hard work put into this build, and we want to give you a timeline on when you can expect this update. Let’s get into it!

[h2]Feedback[/h2]
As many of you know, we recently launched the Etherian Cavalry as the testing group for Dungeon Defenders: Awakened. Some of these players are some of the most hardcore in the community, with some people being slightly more casual to help give us a broader understanding of how all our hardwork lands with a variety of players.

We received some really great feedback from our first round of testing, and as a result are adding in some things to help smooth out the experience. For example:

• In Dungeon Defenders (2011), all of the Nightmare enemies spawned on the first level, without offering an explanation as to what they did. 
  
• In DD:A, after tremendous feedback from our testers, we’re going to be altering that a bit and introducing enemies one by one, while also providing in-game explanations for what the enemies are, and some tips on how to play against them.

There’s a slew of improvements and changes that we’re bringing into this patch as a result of their feedback so that it’s the best experience for everyone. There’s a lot more than this coming in this update, just too much to list here.

[h2]Release[/h2]
“WHEN ARE WE GETTING THIS PATCH!?” Our original plan was to have it out today, but currently we want to spend a couple more days to polish it up, as we added quite a bit based on the feedback you provided. We’re planning on having this update be available on Thursday, April 2nd. We’ll provide more specifics on the time as it is ready.  We’ll be watching if there are any issues you all run into and addressing them as soon as possible.

As previously outlined in our COVID-19 post, a large chunk of time has been taken out of our tight development cycle due to converting the studio into a fully remote workplace, as well as making sure our employees are able to stay healthy and safe. This is unfortunately one of those areas that is getting affected by our efforts to put the safety of our studio first. Trying to get this update out during such a tumultuous time was a challenge for us, and while we are going to be a couple days late, we’re very proud of what we are able to accomplish and can’t wait for you to get your hands on it!

[h2]Social Defenders[/h2]
To get reliable updates on the future of DDA make sure to follow us on all our social media platforms:

• Discord
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitch
• Forums

Keep an eye out for more info!To get reliable updates on the future of DDA make sure to follow us on all our social media platforms:

For Etheria!
Chromatic Games

DEFENDERS,

As you're aware, we’ve got a lot of work going on currently, and today we want to talk about a more serious subject and what we’re currently doing. We’re just going to jump right into it.

[h2]COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease) Response[/h2]
As this virus has spread and become recognized as a pandemic, it is important that we do our part as a studio in helping reduce the spread and effects. Last week and towards the end of the previous week, we began efforts to become an entirely remote studio. The greater part of this week, and continuing on, we’re still working out the kinks and making sure everyone is able to continue working, adapt meetings, and more. Outside of doing our part to stave off the virus, our goal is to make sure that our employees are safe, healthy, and set up to work as comfortably as possible.

We’re still continuing to hit our intended milestones. The Etherian Cavalry received their first round of testing this weekend, tearing apart Nightmare to help us polish and address any large issues before releasing our March Update “Summoning the Demon Lord”. Having to mobilize our entire studio has definitely eaten up a fair amount of time, but we’re currently on track to still hit our milestones as outlined on our roadmap. If this should change, we will be sure to let you, our GLORIOUS Defenders know about it. We want to get this game out to you in the best state as soon as possible, but when it comes down to it, we will not sacrifice the safety and health of our employees to do so. We’re people just like you, there are things that are out of our control that we have to adapt to and overcome to the best of our ability. We appreciate your support and understanding in the coming months.

Please make sure to do your part in helping out throughout these tough times. If you are unaware of the coronavirus, or have any questions, please visit the CDC’s Coronavirus Page for more information on symptoms and how to help prevent the spread.

[h2]Social Defenders[/h2]
To get reliable updates on the future of DDA make sure to follow us on all our social media platforms:

• Discord
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitch
• Forums

Keep an eye out for more info!

For Etheria!

Chromatic Games

Defenders!

As we’ve previously mentioned, we’re hard at work to make sure you have an update to play with, and get to experience some of the changes we’ve been able to pump out before the March “Summoning the Demon Lord” update. We don’t like releasing builds on Friday, but we also don’t like missing goals, so we’re creating an alternative for those of you who want to get on the newest patch ASAP.

There’s now a preview branch on which any player can opt-in to and get the new patch earlier (click HERE for the notes). We believe we have fixed all the known data loss and progression issues but to be on the safe side we ask that you backup your local save in case you come across any issue.

[h2]How To Opt-In[/h2]
Please follow the instructions below on backing up your save and then changing your Steam beta branch:

1. Navigate to C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\DDS\Saved\SaveGames
   
   
2. Copy DDA_Player_0.esv to another location on your computer, outside of the directory it is currently in.
   
   
3. Right click Dungeon Defenders: Awakened in Steam and go to Properties
   
   
4. Click on the BETAS tab once the new window appears.
   
   
5. Enter the beta access code “ibackedupmysave” and then click CHECK CODE.
   
   
6. If successful you should get a message about the preview branch now being available.
   
   
   
7. Click the drop down where it says NONE - Opt out of all beta programs and select the new preview branch that appears in the list: preview - Patch Preview.
   
   • If you do not see the preview branch even though it said it was now available please restart the Steam client.
8. The download should start immediately and once done you’re good to go!

[h2]How To Recover[/h2]
If you experience any data loss issues of any kind due to switching over to this build, here is what we recommend doing:

1. Contact Support
   
   
2. Wait for us to clear out your cloud save.
   
   
3. Switch back to the NONE option on the Beta tab
   
   
   
4. After hearing back from Support, place your old save that you backed up into place.
   
   
5. C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\DDS\Saved\SaveGames
   
   
6. Go back to playing DDA

[h2]Why We’re Doing this[/h2]
This is something we’ve seen other developers do to help mitigate any damage that a new patch might bring, as we won’t be able to address the issues over the weekend. It’s a temporary measure, as next week we will release the patch to everyone, addressing any issues along the way. Players are able to switch back at any time should they choose to, only needing to contact support if you ran into a data loss issue. Also to note, any progress made on this preview build WILL transfer over to the live build, so any gear or time spent (should you not run into any issues) carries over to the live version.

[h2]What’s Next?[/h2]
We’re currently hard at work on two things: getting our Nintendo Switch build into the best state possible so that we pass certification with flying colors, and getting our March update polished so that you are able to experience the horrors that are the Demon Lord (and his fireproof loincloth), take on the terrifying enemies that await you in the Nightmare difficulty, masochistic rewards provided through Hardcore Mode, conquer the Act I Challenge maps, and more!

There’s a lot that we’re currently powering through, and are excited for you to brave through our hard work that is the March Update — “Summoning the Demon Lord”. We’ll keep you posted with our development and what to expect.
[h2]Social Defenders[/h2]
To get reliable updates on the future of DDA make sure to follow us on all our social media platforms:

• Discord
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitch
• Forums

Keep an eye out for more info!

For Etheria!
Chromatic Games

Patch V0.9.0.13335 Notes

****UPDATE****
We have reverted this patch for the time being due to an inventory issue that we were not able to create through our in-house and remote testing. We're working hard this evening and tomorrow morning to get the issues at hand rectified and do our best to push the patch out without issue tomorrow.

DEFENDERS,

Keeping with our pace, we’ve got another patch out today! This one is a bit heavier than the other patches, with the majority of them focused on bug fixing. What you’re getting today is continued development to features, specifically new character model updates, a slew of inventory improvements and additions, gamepad enhancements, and more. There’s also some other things we want to talk about, so let’s do that now!

[h2]The Etherian Cavalry — Brave Testers of Etheria[/h2]
Early Access provides a lot of content and features to players over time. We want the Early Access content to be focused on gameplay feedback and ways to help mold the game into the best state possible. We’re looking to add another layer to this, similar to what we’ve done in the past with RPG (Remote Playtesters Group) for Dungeon Defenders II. Being a mobile unit means The Etherian Cavalry is able to sweep through the battlefields of Etheria, in content unknown, to help discover Old Ones secret agents known as “bugs” and “issues”. For those that join, they are able to access unreleased content sooner, that is potentially in a rough state to help discover bugs and bigger issues before they could affect the active player base. Having access to this content does not affect your live progress in any way. Instead, it’s a noble quest to help make Dungeon Defenders: Awakened the best game it can be, if you’re able and willing. There are a few requirements for those that join:

• Own Dungeon Defenders: Awakened on PC (this means you currently have access to Steam Early Access).
  
• Are 18 years of age or older.
  
• Able to use Discord.
  
• Are able to sign an NDA.

If you are brave enough to venture into the unknown, and help us in this battle, please send an email to [email protected] to enlist today. We are doing everything we can to provide the best experience possible, and with your help, we’ll be able to!
[h2]Progression Fixes and Squishes[/h2]
We’ve got the vast majority of the progression issues that people were running into. We found one more (and we believe our last) that can be completely avoided while we work on a fix for it. It’s the following:

• When joining a game, only hit the join button ONCE.
  

That’s it. Hitting it multiple times tries to join the session and restarts joining it. As a result, it runs into a couple of issues loading your profile, defaulting to a new profile, and clearing out your inventory. We’re currently working on a fix for this, and were not comfortable with our current work to include it in this patch. The moment it’s 100% ready, we’ll get it pushed out to you, but in the meantime, just show some restraint when joining a game! :)

With that out of the way, let’s get into what you can expect to see in this patch.

[h2]Features[/h2]

• Huntress Model Changes
  
  • New face model.
    
  • Adjust her entire model.
    
  • Animation polish.
• Monk Model Changes
  
  • New face model.
    
  • Adjust the entire model.
    
  • Animation polish.
• Inventory UI improvements.
  
• Character Idle Inventory animations added.
  
• Inventory model rotation added.
  • Just left click and drag your mouse left or right to give your character a twirl!
• Inventory Hero Swap
  • F1 through F4 for mouse and keyboard.
    
  • Can press H to open the Hero Deck.
    
  • Gamepad “Select” button to open the Hero Deck.
    • Select/Special Left/Options/Back button depending on your gamepad.
• Inventory page indicators are now clickable.
  
• Gamepad Additions/Improvements
  • Hold “Select” to view your Character Stats Panel.
    
  • Updated swapping between the left and right panels in the inventory to be more gamepad friendly.
    
  • Added support for Map Summary and the Session Browser.
    
  • Hero Deck improvements.
    
  • Map Select Improvements.
    
  • Hero Select Improvements.
    • Switching Pages.
      
    • Sorting Heroes.
      
    • Renaming Heroes.
      
    • Selecting Heroes vs Opening Menus.
      
    • Missing Focus Indication.
  • Session Creation Improvements.
    
  • Improved Two Button Popups (ex: Confirm Cancel on certain menus).
    
  • Escape Menu improvements.
    
  • Gear Filter UI Improvements.
    • Fixed and improved navigation.
      • Able to now navigate quality and armor type for Accessories.
    • Now able to navigate to Upgrades Only.
  • Sorting Improvements
    • No longer a UI, instead cycles through different sort styles
      
    • Reverse sort added.
  • When toggling tabs on the right side of the inventory, focus state is now remembered for each tab.
• Equipped Pets now display in the Inventory.
  
• Steam Offline mode now available!
  • This is only if the player playing the game is the actual owner.
• Improved how equipped weapons are displayed in the Inventory.

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed multiple crashing issues.
  
• ​​​​​​​Fixed an issue where the Ogre was affected by the Darkness Trap.
  
• Fixed an issue with “Sell All” 
  • Now it only sells what is in your current filtered view.
• Fixed an issue where spamming between attack and block allowed faster than intended attacks.
  
• Fixed an issue where Phoenix Shot wasn’t functioning correctly while shooting by holding Left Mouse Button (LMB).
  
• Adjusted Attack Blocking interactions.

[h2]What’s Next?[/h2]We’re currently hard at work on two things: getting our Nintendo Switch build into the best state possible so that we pass certification with flying colors, and getting our March update polished so that you are able to experience the horrors that are the Demon Lord (and his fireproof loincloth), take on the terrifying enemies that await you in the Nightmare difficulty, masochistic rewards provided through Hardcore Mode, conquer the Act I Challenge maps, and more!

There’s a lot that we’re currently powering through, and are excited for you to brave through our hard work that is the March Update — “Summoning the Demon Lord”. We’ll keep you posted with our development and what to expect.

Oh also, there’s a sweet Dev Log coming out tomorrow that talks to some more of the amazing people that make Chromatic Games such a great place to be. These heroic devs braved the flight to Boston and were able to join forces with many of our Defenders, both new and old, at PAX East. Make sure to check it out to get a look under the hood of Chromatic Games!

[h2]Social Defenders[/h2]To get reliable updates on the future of DDA make sure to follow us on all our social media platforms:

• Discord
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitch
• Forums

Keep an eye out for more info!

For Etheria!

Chromatic Games

DEFENDERS,

Sliding in right before the weekend, it’s another patch. It’s a small patch though, but it’s a helpful one nonetheless. We’re still working hard, so keep that feedback coming. Let’s get into it!
[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed an issue where a player’s inventory would be cleared out.
  • This is a separate issue than our last fix. It was an issue caused by item filtering, and should help the remaining people who were running into inventory issues. If you still run into any inventory issue, and are on the latest patch, PLEASE LET US KNOW!
• Adjusted how the strength of the Ogre on Ancient Mines.
  • He was a little too strong, so for the time being we are making him weaker.

[h2]What’s Next[/h2]Our main focus currently is going to be watching this patch and for any users that may be running into any continued inventory issues. We believe this patch should solve the vast majority, but we want to be sure. Make sure to throw us any feedback should there be any continued issues, as soon as possible, and we’ll follow up.

With that out of the way, this is an exciting month! We’re going to be releasing a Mid-Update patch next week. This patch will have updated hero models and animations for the Huntress and Monk (based on community feedback from the beta!), additional Inventory UI features and functionality, as well as Bug Fixes. This is not the big update shown on the Road Map, but more a halfway point to get some improvements that we’re ready to release. This is something we messaged previously and are wanting to live up to.

Thank you all for your support so far, keep throwing all the feedback you can at us, and we’ll keep working hard! :)

To get reliable updates on the future of DDA make sure to follow us on all our social media platforms:

• Discord
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitch
• Forums

Keep an eye out for more info!

For Etheria!

Chromatic Games