Deep Dive 1.0
Hello Heroes!
Tomorrow is THE BIG DAY for The Last Spell!
But today our dear Early Access players, we already have something for you: a new Deep Dive with all the information about the 1.0 update!
Since this is a pretty big article, it has been separated in two: Deep Dive 1.0 (this one) and Patch Note 1.0. You can read the full Patch Note here (it's long, like very crazy long):
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1105670/view/3645136992405056227
[h2]SUMMARY:[/h2]
[h2]NEW MAP: GLINTFEIN[/h2]
Drawing ever closer to the end of magic, the Commander heads to Glintfein for the final ritual.
Glintfein is the 5th and final map of The Last Spell, unlocked after beating Elderlicht, and bringing a conclusion to the story.
Glintfein is the hardest map in the game, spanning only 7 Nights. Be prepared: these Nights are extremely intense, and you will have less time to upgrade your town and heroes. Some of these Nights might even hold a few surprises…
The town that gave name to this map has been completely corrupted by the Mist, and has become a deserted wasteland. When you start a run, only the Magic Circle and a few cheap defenses are present.
Fortunately, since the Commander expected this battle, Glintfein starts during a production phase, and with a much needed package of starting gold and materials. What will you build or buy before the first Night?
Corruption is rampant in Glintfein, and seems to have altered the very fabric of this plane. How will the ever shifting corrupted objects affect your defense?
This map has a lot of other surprises in store for you, especially when it comes to the boss.
Here’s a little tease of something you might encounter during your run. What do you think it does? Should you kill it or run away?
[h2]TUTORIAL[/h2]
The Last Spell is a game with a steep learning curve and a lot of mechanics. In order to enhance the new player experience, we have revamped the tutorial popups at the start of a campaign.
Each popup is now dedicated to one mechanic, and popups are spread out through the entire tutorial. It’s always better when you have some time to process each bit of information!
Some mechanics that were not explained before, like Corpses, Bosses, Wounds, or even the use of [Left Alt] are now introduced to newcomers.
Players who have already completed the tutorial may still be presented with a few popups that trigger on specific events outside the tutorial map, e.g. on the world map or the first boss encounter. Just click on OK and it will not show up again!
The “How to Play” section has also been revamped. If you aren’t sure of how something works, you can check it out.
[h2]NEW ENEMY: KINDLED[/h2]
Common enemies like Dodgers or Plated are designed to teach the impact of different defensive attributes on enemies. Additionally, it creates Nights or moments where some Heroes will be more effective than others, which can challenge the player’s strategy.
Resistance was the only defensive attribute that didn’t have its dedicated low tier enemy, but now this has been changed! Meet the Kindled: a monster with very low Health but a whole lot of Resistance!
Kindled are balanced similarly to the Plated, which means that you will be able to one shot them easily with the correct damage type (magic), but may have a harder time with other damage types, as long as you don't have resistance reduction. The roster of basic enemies is finally complete!
[h2]ACHIEVEMENTS[/h2]
We know you were waiting for it! Steam Achievements have been added, as promised for the full release. We tried to limit the number of “super hardcore” achievements, exploring all the different mechanics and aspects of the game instead in order to keep them diverse. We hope all completionists can have some fun hunting them down!
[h2]BALANCING[/h2]
A well balanced game is something that we’ve always been aiming for: strategic gameplay can only flourish if all options at your disposal are noteworthy. For the 1.0 release, our goal was to cement the balance of the game into a state where only minor tweaks would be necessary in the future: since the Early Access is over, we don’t want to make any big reworks anymore.
This patch contains balance changes on nearly all aspects of the game, but the biggest one is the weapons. We have been registering feedback on weapons for a long time, and have tweaked pretty much all of them., in an attempt to bring them all on the same power level.
For the weapons that were considered too strong, we mostly reduced their potency in the late game: by limiting explosive effects such as Momentum or Multi-hit, for example. Since most of these weapons were strong because of one or two skills, it also allowed us to buff their other skills, so they shouldn’t feel “nerfed to the ground”. We also reworked Momentum a bit, by making it easier to build up, but limiting its maximum damage output.
For the weapons that were considered too weak, we tried to buff them in various ways: giving them higher damage, more utility… Here too, we tried to have a better balance between the different skills of each weapon, as we didn’t like the fact that some weapons were played solely for the use of one skill. Another thing we noticed is the fact that skills with only buffs or debuffs (Acid Spray, Weakening Touch) are often deemed too weak, so we buffed them generously.
We also made a lot of significant balance changes on other items: Armors, Off-hand weapons, Potions and Scrolls should bring more interesting options than before, be it because they are stronger, or just cheaper to use.
Additionally, we also tweaked some Omens, Perks (especially Blood Magic, which has a cool new feature!) and the difficulty of maps. The full (as full as possible!) list of changes can be read further below, in the full patch notes.
[h2]QoL[/h2]
As usual (actually, even more with the 1.0 target in sight!) we tried to fit as many quality of life changes to improve the overall experience.
Here is a small (yet very exciting) sample, the remainder can be discovered further in the full patch notes.
[h3]Attack information panel is clearer, and shows Crit data[/h3]
The attack information panel has been reworked to be clearer. The final values of the targeted enemy’s Resistance and Dodge (i.e. modified by the various factors coming from the caster/hero, like Accuracy, Res. Reduction, Magic Damage, etc.) are now displayed directly on the top-left of the attack panel, instead of “sneakily” modifying the values shown on the enemy’s panel attributes.
In addition to that, a line has been added under the Final DMG to show the crit chance and potential damage, because this definitely plays a big part in decision making!
[h3]Item comparison is more accurate than ever[/h3]
Item comparison has been improved to make skill previews more accurate. When hovering over an item in the shop or stash to compare it to your currently equipped item, we would previously use the current attributes of the Hero for the skill previews of both items.
Here’s how it functions now:
Hero, add the attributes of the new item, and subtract the attributes of any items that would be unequipped by equipping this item.
Here is an example with two very similar bows that show different values in damage and range for the preview of Power Shot, since they have different attribute bonuses.
[h3]Perks planner[/h3]
You can now plan your perk build on the perk tree using the right click! This is only a visual cue to remind you what you want to do with a given hero, it doesn’t do anything by itself, but it helps A LOT to remain consistent with your plans.
Obviously this is saved/loaded with your run, otherwise it wouldn’t be that dope…
[h3]Oraculum Filters & Sorting[/h3]
Added Filters and Sorting options in the Oraculum
[h3]Temple & Mana Well feedback improvement[/h3]
Visual feedbacks for the Temple and Mana Wells have had a lot of small improvements. To name a few:
[h3]“Compare gear with” now shows the weapons[/h3]
You can now see the active weapon set of each hero in the comparison drop down
We hope we've got you excited about the 1.0 release tomorrow! On our end, we sure are! Thank you for reading and thank you for helping us making The Last Spell the way it is.
Join us on Discord, Twitter & Instagram to discuss with the team and other players!
Tomorrow is THE BIG DAY for The Last Spell!
But today our dear Early Access players, we already have something for you: a new Deep Dive with all the information about the 1.0 update!
Since this is a pretty big article, it has been separated in two: Deep Dive 1.0 (this one) and Patch Note 1.0. You can read the full Patch Note here (it's long, like very crazy long):
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1105670/view/3645136992405056227
[h2]SUMMARY:[/h2]
- New map: Glintfein
- Tutorial
- New Enemy: Kindled
- Achievements
- Balancing
- QoL
[h2]NEW MAP: GLINTFEIN[/h2]
Drawing ever closer to the end of magic, the Commander heads to Glintfein for the final ritual.
Glintfein is the 5th and final map of The Last Spell, unlocked after beating Elderlicht, and bringing a conclusion to the story.
Glintfein is the hardest map in the game, spanning only 7 Nights. Be prepared: these Nights are extremely intense, and you will have less time to upgrade your town and heroes. Some of these Nights might even hold a few surprises…
The town that gave name to this map has been completely corrupted by the Mist, and has become a deserted wasteland. When you start a run, only the Magic Circle and a few cheap defenses are present.
Fortunately, since the Commander expected this battle, Glintfein starts during a production phase, and with a much needed package of starting gold and materials. What will you build or buy before the first Night?
Corruption is rampant in Glintfein, and seems to have altered the very fabric of this plane. How will the ever shifting corrupted objects affect your defense?
This map has a lot of other surprises in store for you, especially when it comes to the boss.
Here’s a little tease of something you might encounter during your run. What do you think it does? Should you kill it or run away?
[h2]TUTORIAL[/h2]
The Last Spell is a game with a steep learning curve and a lot of mechanics. In order to enhance the new player experience, we have revamped the tutorial popups at the start of a campaign.
Each popup is now dedicated to one mechanic, and popups are spread out through the entire tutorial. It’s always better when you have some time to process each bit of information!
Some mechanics that were not explained before, like Corpses, Bosses, Wounds, or even the use of [Left Alt] are now introduced to newcomers.
Players who have already completed the tutorial may still be presented with a few popups that trigger on specific events outside the tutorial map, e.g. on the world map or the first boss encounter. Just click on OK and it will not show up again!
The “How to Play” section has also been revamped. If you aren’t sure of how something works, you can check it out.
[h2]NEW ENEMY: KINDLED[/h2]
Common enemies like Dodgers or Plated are designed to teach the impact of different defensive attributes on enemies. Additionally, it creates Nights or moments where some Heroes will be more effective than others, which can challenge the player’s strategy.
Resistance was the only defensive attribute that didn’t have its dedicated low tier enemy, but now this has been changed! Meet the Kindled: a monster with very low Health but a whole lot of Resistance!
Kindled are balanced similarly to the Plated, which means that you will be able to one shot them easily with the correct damage type (magic), but may have a harder time with other damage types, as long as you don't have resistance reduction. The roster of basic enemies is finally complete!
[h2]ACHIEVEMENTS[/h2]
We know you were waiting for it! Steam Achievements have been added, as promised for the full release. We tried to limit the number of “super hardcore” achievements, exploring all the different mechanics and aspects of the game instead in order to keep them diverse. We hope all completionists can have some fun hunting them down!
[h2]BALANCING[/h2]
A well balanced game is something that we’ve always been aiming for: strategic gameplay can only flourish if all options at your disposal are noteworthy. For the 1.0 release, our goal was to cement the balance of the game into a state where only minor tweaks would be necessary in the future: since the Early Access is over, we don’t want to make any big reworks anymore.
This patch contains balance changes on nearly all aspects of the game, but the biggest one is the weapons. We have been registering feedback on weapons for a long time, and have tweaked pretty much all of them., in an attempt to bring them all on the same power level.
For the weapons that were considered too strong, we mostly reduced their potency in the late game: by limiting explosive effects such as Momentum or Multi-hit, for example. Since most of these weapons were strong because of one or two skills, it also allowed us to buff their other skills, so they shouldn’t feel “nerfed to the ground”. We also reworked Momentum a bit, by making it easier to build up, but limiting its maximum damage output.
For the weapons that were considered too weak, we tried to buff them in various ways: giving them higher damage, more utility… Here too, we tried to have a better balance between the different skills of each weapon, as we didn’t like the fact that some weapons were played solely for the use of one skill. Another thing we noticed is the fact that skills with only buffs or debuffs (Acid Spray, Weakening Touch) are often deemed too weak, so we buffed them generously.
We also made a lot of significant balance changes on other items: Armors, Off-hand weapons, Potions and Scrolls should bring more interesting options than before, be it because they are stronger, or just cheaper to use.
Additionally, we also tweaked some Omens, Perks (especially Blood Magic, which has a cool new feature!) and the difficulty of maps. The full (as full as possible!) list of changes can be read further below, in the full patch notes.
[h2]QoL[/h2]
As usual (actually, even more with the 1.0 target in sight!) we tried to fit as many quality of life changes to improve the overall experience.
Here is a small (yet very exciting) sample, the remainder can be discovered further in the full patch notes.
[h3]Attack information panel is clearer, and shows Crit data[/h3]
The attack information panel has been reworked to be clearer. The final values of the targeted enemy’s Resistance and Dodge (i.e. modified by the various factors coming from the caster/hero, like Accuracy, Res. Reduction, Magic Damage, etc.) are now displayed directly on the top-left of the attack panel, instead of “sneakily” modifying the values shown on the enemy’s panel attributes.
In addition to that, a line has been added under the Final DMG to show the crit chance and potential damage, because this definitely plays a big part in decision making!
[h3]Item comparison is more accurate than ever[/h3]
Item comparison has been improved to make skill previews more accurate. When hovering over an item in the shop or stash to compare it to your currently equipped item, we would previously use the current attributes of the Hero for the skill previews of both items.
Here’s how it functions now:
- The item that is already equipped uses the current attributes of the Hero
- The item that is being hovered (in your stash, shop or rewards) will use the current attributes of the
Hero, add the attributes of the new item, and subtract the attributes of any items that would be unequipped by equipping this item.
Here is an example with two very similar bows that show different values in damage and range for the preview of Power Shot, since they have different attribute bonuses.
[h3]Perks planner[/h3]
You can now plan your perk build on the perk tree using the right click! This is only a visual cue to remind you what you want to do with a given hero, it doesn’t do anything by itself, but it helps A LOT to remain consistent with your plans.
Obviously this is saved/loaded with your run, otherwise it wouldn’t be that dope…
[h3]Oraculum Filters & Sorting[/h3]
Added Filters and Sorting options in the Oraculum
[h3]Temple & Mana Well feedback improvement[/h3]
Visual feedbacks for the Temple and Mana Wells have had a lot of small improvements. To name a few:
- Restore action now show the same regen icon as potions when you would use them on a Hero
- A similar icon has been added for actions that increase an attribute
- Feedbacks are shown on all heroes when hovering an action that would restore all heroes, but is attenuated for heroes that already have full Mana/Health
- Feedbacks are shown both when hovering a hero on the field or by hovering their portrait in the top right
[h3]“Compare gear with” now shows the weapons[/h3]
You can now see the active weapon set of each hero in the comparison drop down
We hope we've got you excited about the 1.0 release tomorrow! On our end, we sure are! Thank you for reading and thank you for helping us making The Last Spell the way it is.
Join us on Discord, Twitter & Instagram to discuss with the team and other players!