Vault of the Void News

Hello everyone!

Firstly, I really apologize for the delay in getting this patch up. It's taken just over a month now which definitely isn’t the norm, nor my intention. However, it turns out that rewriting the resolution code for the game... was a bit of work haha. However, its done now, and I’m happy to finally get this patch out to you all! Let’s dive in.

[h2]Ultra-Wide Screen Support, and Resolution Changes[/h2]
So the core of all this started with my push to provide support to all the Ultra-Wide players out there! I appreciate you all asking for it, and I’m happy to announce it's all done! The core change here required a full rewrite to the code which enabled the game to scale depending on the resolution selected. This turned out to be a monumental task, however the benefits also include the fact that the game now will scale perfectly to mobile devices (hint hint).

Just as a note -- there are a few screens like the Deckbuilder which could utilise the Ultra-wide space better. Those will be getting full redesigns to fit in the near future!

When you go into the game options now, you’ll have a resolution selector for you to choose your game resolution! I’ve tried to include all the main ones in there, however if any are missing please let me know and I’ll add them in! There is also a way to set a custom size by using the options file if need be.



[h2]Borderless Fullscreen[/h2]
I can’t begin to explain how big a hurdle this was (and really, it shouldn't have been). But due to engine limitations, I’ve tried so many ways to get this implemented reliably. However, this latest version seems to be working well by testers so far, so I’m very happy to push this out live. Just a note on that, but very rarely, the fullscreen/borderless toggles won’t do anything. A quick restart of the game seems to fix this every time! (Sorry !!)

[h2]The Enlightened Changes[/h2]


Now all the technical stuff is out of the way, let's dive into the fun content side of things! As promised, it's the Enlightened turn for an update! We sat down and worked through each of his cards, using analytics and player feedback across all difficulties to target various things to bump up. Overall, his rework wasn’t as extensive as the Hiddens (his starting artifact didn’t change, for example), but still a significant number of tweaks and balances. The goal was to just give him a gentle nudge upwards, and by bumping numbers in small ways, and adding a few more Fatigue sources, slightly speed up fights.

All in all, 12 Neutral/Hidden cards were changed, 25 Enlightened cards got tweaked in some way, and 11 new cards were added! There were also some small tweaks to the starting kit for Martial and a tweak to the Mindfulness Spell.

I’ll put a full list of changes at the bottom for those who’d like to look over things!

At the end of the day, Enlightened wasn't too far behind the curve when it comes to win rate, and just needed a few soft touches. But as always, we’ll keep and eye on things here and push numbers more where needed!

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So there's a few things that didn’t quite make this patch. The biggest of which was the Alternative Art packs I wanted to add, for Sins and Afflictions. I’m currently getting those wrapped up and I’ll hopefully drop them in a small patch next week.



Further to that, a few people have been asking about 1.0. I’ve got some exciting news on that front! But -- can’t share it yet :)

Next up will be the Balance Update for the Daughter of the Void, and I’ll endeavor to get a few new Challenge Coins in before then as well!

Thank you everyone for your patience, and for all the lovely reviews and kind words! It really does make a difference and means the world! Looking forward to keeping this train rolling!

Take care!
- Josh



[h3]Neutral/Hidden Card Changes[/h3]
Grapeshot: +1 damage pre and post upgrade
Salt in the Wound: -1 clot pre and post upgrade
Opening Move: Opener also gives 1 Overcharge
Killing Blow: +4 damage pre and post upgrade
Yin Yang: +2 damage pre and post upgrade
Arcane Overload and Furious Assault: +1 to per-card scaling pre and post upgrade
Zig Zag: Cost reduced to 0
Cease Exertion: The conditional slows are now AoE.
Unload: Changed to deal 20(22) damage and Sift 2(3).
Surprise Attack: Does 3 more baseline damage pre and post upgrade
Wound: +3 damage pre and post upgrade

[h3]The Enlightened Card Changes: [/h3]
Smack to the Future: FS increased from 2x2(3x3) to 5x5(6x5)
Mix Up: Increased FS by 1 pre and post upgrade. The upgrade also adds Purge: Trigger Void Stone.
Union: Increased FS and Shii by 1 pre and post upgrade
Harmony: Increased Block by 1 pre and post upgrade
Unbalanced Fury: Increased FS from 6x2 to 6x3
Careful Advance and Cautious Blow: Both now cost 1. FS/Shii/Block/Delay Block values reduced to 5.
Exhale: Increased Shii by 2 pre and post upgrade
State of Mind: Increased Purge from 2 Shii to 4 Shii. Buff now scales so that it applies 4 Shii X times, instead of applying 4-times-X Shii.
Meditation: Base card gains "Purge while Zen: Gain 1 Energy."
Back in Time: +1 Shii pre and post upgrade
Haste: Reduced cost by 1. Changed the upgrade to "Opener: Chain 1."
Prophesized: +1 Shii pre and post upgrade
Time Warp: Changed to be "this turn and next"
Gaining Momentum: Deals 1 more FS pre and post upgrade. Increased cost by 1 and add "Draw 1" to its opener clause.
Battle Insight: Zen: Vision 1 replaced with an unconditional Vision 2
Clear Image: Deals -2 Shii pre and post upgrade and has -1 cost
Ankle Break: Changed to Deal 10 damage. Deal 5(7) Shii. Follow-Up: Apply Slow 1(2).
Deceleration: The upgrade has now become the base card. The new upgrade adds "and Vulnerable 2" to the conditional.
Age: Current upgrade removed. Gains Purge: Block 3(6).
Timeless: Gains Purge: Rage 25%.
Chaotic Blur: +2 block pre and post upgrade
Opposing Force: +1 FS pre and post upgrade
Undermine: Changed the FS to 5x1(8x1) and made it also apply Vulnerable 2 pre-upgrade.
Bring the Thunder: Now an Uncommon. Rage 50% X(+1) times. Purge: Draw & Discard 1.

[h3]New Cards: [/h3]
11 new cards added!

[h3]Other[/h3]
Removed 1 copy of Gaining Momentum from the Martial starter replacing it with a 9th Lashing Kick.
Focus (Mindfulness starting spell): Removed the Zen requirement from the Rage 25%

Hello everyone!

I wanted to take the time to update you all on what’s going on behind the scenes. It’s been a bit of time since the big Hidden update, so lets recap what’s going on, how things went, and what’s next!

[h2]The Hidden Update[/h2]
To cut a long story short, the Hidden Update (from pretty much all accounts) was a great success! A massive thank you to everyone who has reached out with feedback — it was great to see such a positive reaction around the changes.

The Numbers
We had some target numbers in mind when it comes to win rates etc that we really wanted the new Hidden to fall into. As of right now, everything has trended upwards, and numbers fall (for the most part), within 1% of our goal. This is so great to see, The Hidden and the Tempest are both now sitting very close (no really, like… REALLY close) to each other in power level, win rate etc. Excatly what the goal was.

The Response
But its not just about numbers for me! Always its important to know how the class feels to play — and on that front, its been almost exclusively positive as well. A lot of people commenting about the new changes to the artifact, the free combo, and being able to spend it now more willingly. The Hidden has been revitalised in a lot of peoples eyes, and people are enjoying the new power level.

Thank you again to everyone who has reached out, left comments, DM’ed me, chatted in the Discord etc. The only way to know how this stuff feels is to hear it from you all, and I appreciate anyone who takes the time to do so!

All in all, a great step forward for the Hidden and Vault of the Void overall. I’m excited to move onto the next class focus, the Enlightened.

[h2]The Enlightened[/h2]
Work is already underway on the Enlightened changes. I will preface this by saying —don’t expect a major overhaul on anything with him. Right now he’s in a pretty decent spot, and the focus will be just bumping numbers up in a few places, adding a bunch of new cards, and addressing a few pain points (2 cost Openers, 2 costs in general etc). This process is already underway and you can expect to hear more about this next week as it moves into testing!

[h2]Resolution Changes — Ultra Wide Screen Support [/h2]
Right now, when not spending time in the trenches discussing/changing the Enlightened, all my time is spent working on the new resolution changes for the game. The goal with this was primarily to extend support now to Ultra Wide screen monitors, and also address the “black bars” that appear on certain resolutions. It also means that when the game extends to handheld devices (Steam Deck, iPad, Switch etc), it will conform perfectly.

This is a pretty major overhaul to be honest. I’ve spent around 3 days on it full time so far, and only have 3 screens or “rooms” fully converted. When I first started working on Vault, I had zero knowledge when it came to programming, let alone game development. Ideally, this would have been something the game supported from the beginning — however now it's just something I have to cycle back and retrofit. I’ve learnt a lot in the last 3 years!

The downside to this, is just time. I need to continue working on this to ensure it's ready for the Enlightened update, and splitting an update its tough. I’m hoping the rest comes together pretty smoothly over the next week or so, but I apologise in advance if it delays the updates for a week or so as I get it all finalised. Once done, the game will have a proper resolution selector, it scales to the game window and scales all game assets in the same way.

Sorry again that this fall right in the middle of development — but once done we’ll be in a great place moving forward!

[h2]1000 Reviews[/h2]
Over the last week or so we hit a very amazing milestone! 1000 total steam reviews — unreal! Thank you to everyone who took the time to leave a review over the past 18 months. I’ve mentioned it before, but Vault doesn’t have a big marketing team or publisher behind it at all. Steam Reviews are the main way Vault gets out and shared with others, and hence I’m extremely thankful.

I previewed an alternative Affliction card artwork pack a while back, featuring the Treasure Goblin himself! The next patch I’ll include instructions on how to claim this in game, as a big thank you to you all for helping Vault become what it is!



That’s all from me for now! Thanks again to everyone for playing and enjoying Vault of the Void. The journey so far has been incredible and I’m excited for the future.

Take care, all for now!
- Josh

Howdie folks! Well, it’s finally here -- many weeks of me saying “soon”, finally got a chance to sit down and go over the first of the Big Balance Updates. Rather than pass over everything at once, I decided to split things into each of the Classes. I prefer to push updates out at least every 2 weeks if possible, and doing things this way gives the testing team a bit more time to focus on new areas.

A big shoutout to Dabor and Breakshift for their work throughout this patch, but for their time during the concept stages. Lots of calls and discussions passing over everything, and I’m really happy where it landed. And, of course, a HUGE thank you to the Internal Testing Team and the Localisation team for getting everything through so quickly, and all the great feedback and bug finding throughout the process.

So, with that, let’s dive into the great Hidden Balance Pass.



[h2]Goals[/h2]
So what needed to change with the Hidden?
Firstly, it's been known for some time that the Tempest is the strongest of the 4 classes. WIth each class’s Balance Patch, the goal is to edge them closer towards the Tempest, rather than edge the Tempest down. The Hidden, Enlightened and the Daughter all want to be nudge up a bit in win rate.

More specifically, when it comes to play style, the goals were:

• Make the starting decks feel more even - better Slash, weaker upgrade on Draw Blood. Give Quickness its own appeal compared to Lick the Knife
  
• Make spending Combo as appealing as Balance spam -- give more Combo, and make Combo spenders stronger in general.
  
• More Blade/Shiv and Combo generation in the common pool.
  
• Better longevity -- more ways to apply raw Bleed, and give the starting Artifact a way to scale in longer fights.
  
• Increase the card pool.
  

In total, there were:
[h2]36 changes to the current pool (34 buffs, 2 nerfs)[/h2]
[h2]14 New Cards[/h2]

If you’d like to see a full list of all the card changes, they will be listed below.
If you’d like to check out the new cards, you can head to the Compendium and type in 1.4.44 into the search bar and it will list all the new cards!

One of the big changes is to the Hiddens starting Artifact (Sneak Artist), which now reads:

At the start of each turn, if at Combo 0, Combo 1.
Starting from Turn 4, your max Combo is increased by 1.

Great source of free Combo each turn, and a little bump if fights start to take a bit longer!

Overall, I hope you like the new changes -- feedback so far has been really positive! The next step is passing over each of the Artifacts and adding some more, and balancing where needed. This will happen over the next week or two as the dust settles on this change!

Thanks everyone for being patient with me as I finally got around to all this!

[h2]Other Things...[/h2]
Whilst I’m trying to keep these notes short, I have gone through and worked through a number of bugs which have shown up in Bug Reports over the last little while. I’ve also worked on the UI of the Daily Draft (expect some bigger changes there in the next little bit), which will now show how many times a player has placed top 3 in the Draft, and also tracks how many times you have as well! I've also been tending to a few other wording bugs etc that go along each patch.

One of the bigger changes is adding more visual feedback and clarity to Echo Wall. Right now, it was an effect that did confuse players a little bit because of its lack of visual feedback, but also due to poor wording. It’s been updated to reference Threat now (as it triggers when the creature attacks, not when you take damage), and I’ve added a slight pause and visual pow-wow when they get smacked back from it.

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[h2]Feedback[/h2]
Thank you to everyone for the lovely feedback and support over the last few weeks! Some really nice reviews have rolled through and I appreciate everyone who takes the time to share their thoughts! It's awesome to think we're nearly at 1000 Reviews, a milestone I never thought I'd see!

I hope you all enjoy the new changes and updates, and I'll be swinging back in before too long to update the Aritfacts, and forge a plan for the next class's update!

Thank you everyone!

All for now.
- Josh



[h2]Full Change List[/h2]
- Slash Changed to: Deal 6(9) damage. If at Combo 0, Combo 1. [[1 less copy in starter deck, replaced with another Underhanded Tactics]]
- Draw Blood Changed: Make the upgrade "Add an upgraded Silent Shiv to hand" instead of "Add 2 Silent Shivs to hand."
- For The Throat Changed: Apply Bleed 6(9).
- Quickness Changed: Combo 1. Block equal to Combo. (Rebound.)
- Backpedal Changed: +1 damage both pre and post upgrade
- Bladestorm Changed: +1 bleed both pre and post upgrade
- Bleed It Out: Increase the purge-bleed on upgrade to 3
- Bloodlust Changed: +1 block both pre and post upgrade
- Bloodthirst Changed: Change damage to 8(11)
- Exploit Vulnerability Changed: Apply Vulnerable 2(3). Apply Bleed equal to (combined) Vulnerable(, Weak, and Slow).
- First Blood Changed: If target is below 10 Bleed, deal 14(20) damage. Otherwise, Apply Bleed 6(9).
- Hemolysis Changed: +1 block both pre and post upgrade
- Light It Up Changed: Deal 9(10) damage. Overcharge 1(2). Expel.
- Main Gauche Changed: +1 block pre-upgrade
- Scatter Shot Changed: +3 damage pre and post upgrade
- Slick Strike Changed: +2 damage pre and post upgrade
- Splatter Changed: Deal 9(10) damage. Clot 2(1): Deal 5(6) damage.
- Surprise Attack: Move to Neutral card pool.
- Thousand Cuts Changed: +3 bleed pre and post upgrade
- Underhanded Tactics Changed: Deal 4(7) damage. If the target is Attacking, apply Weak 1 and Vulnerable 1.
- Blender Changed: +1 bleed pre and post upgrade
- Blood Siphon Changed: (Trigger target's Bleed.) Remove target's Bleed. Gain that much Block. Purge: Block 4.
- Cease Exertion Changed: Both Clots go down from 3 to 2
- Grapeshot Changed: Deal 5(7) damage to a random enemy 8 times. Purge: Sift 1.
- Lacerations Changed: Lower the cost pre-upgrade to 1
- Opportunist Changed: Deal 5(8) damage, or 9(12) if the target is Bleeding, to all enemies.
- Response Changed: Increase upgrade to 4 cost.
- Rip and Tear Changed: +1 bleed pre and post upgrade
- Slice in Twain Changed: Increase the damage from 10(12) to 20(24)
- That'll Sting Changed: +1 damage pre and post upgrade
- Blades Upon Blades Changed: +1 damage pre and post upgrade
- Open Up Changed: Change the "15"s to "18"s
- Sustenance Changed: +1 block pre and post upgrade
- Flaying Flesh Changed: Just +1 damage pre and post upgrade

Hello everyone!

This weekend sees a small patch released, which contains a bunch of bug fixes I’ve noticed (most were hotfixed throughout the last week), and adds just a small collection of content updates.

Probably the biggest of these, is one that I’m not going to speak of at all. Because its... well you know, secret. But when you fetch find it, you’ll know...



[h2]New Challenge Coins![/h2]
Couple of new Challenge Coins have been added, one for the Enlightened and one for the Daughter of the Void!

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Onslaught
Death Strike doesn't work on 2+ cost cards. Your first Attack each turn costs 1 more but gives you 1 Death Strike.

Artifacts: Bladed Staff, Eldritch Blessing



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Fortune Teller
At the start of each turn, draw 1 less card.

Artifacts: Scrying Pool, Temporal Prism



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I hope you enjoy the new Coins! The feedback from the Challenge Coin system continues to be fantastic, and there is a concerted effort to continue adding more and more for you all to enjoy!

[h2]New Impossible+ Modifier[/h2]
One thing I really want to push towards with Impossible+, is adding more modifiers that aren’t just deprivation of resources. It’s very easy to fall into that trap when adding them, and I’ve spoken about an effort to steer away from them, from now on. Fog of War, Ambush etc are great examples of modifiers that I think really do change the way you play. Today, another such modifier has been added: Blind Spot.

Blind Spot reads: Combats will have no pre-fight information. This modifier makes it so there's no way to know who (or what?) you’re fighting.

As more of these types of modifiers are added to the game, I hope it allows players to enjoy playing the way they’d like. Impossible+50 should be tailored to how you like to play, and the more modifiers that get included, the closer we move to that goal!

[h2]Mystery Stuff[/h2]
Something fun, and often requested, has been added. First to find it gets a treat!

Thank you again everyone for playing Vault of the Void! It’s no secret that the past month has seen the biggest influx of new players and player counts when it comes to Vault, and I’m so happy you’re all enjoying it! I thank you as always for the reviews -- they really, really help with small devs like myself, without the big marketing budgets behind it!

Next time I post, it will be with the details of the Hidden rework, which is slated to start on Monday! (And yeah, expect the start of the class specific Potions in that one!)

Thank you everyone -- happy Void hunting!

All for now.
- Josh

Hello everyone! So I posted a preview about this change last week, and its finally here! The Potion rework is now live and ready to play. I’ll include some more details below, including the issues with the old system and the reason for the change. Apologies for it taking a bit longer to get out, I coupled this with UI updates to the Potion shop as well, so there was quite a bit of artwork to get sorted for this one change!

I hope you all enjoy the change. It's never easy to make a mechanic change like this to an already fully established system, and I always prefer to err on the side of caution when doing so. There were a number of ways to address the issue, and there was a lot of feedback and suggestions as well. In the end, I did like a lot of things about the Potion system as it stood, and wanted to ensure the change adhered to two of the main tenets of the game:

• Force players to make meaningful and lasting choices.
  
• Allow prior knowledge to inform choices.
  

As I mentioned in this preview post, the two main things I wanted to address were;

• Limiting the amount of Potions that could be used in a fight, promoting more use throughout the run, rather than the Potion dump that came at the end of a run, vs the Void.
  
• Allow an option for players to use Potions reactively, instead of proactively.
  

Also, as with everything in VotV, I really wanted to try and stay away from established systems in similar games, and look for something slightly different and unique, that fits the style of game that VotV really is, leaning into its idiosyncrasies.

Lets talk about the change in general, and how those ideas play into it.


Potions now have two effects, they’ll have a “Brew” effect, and also a “Belt” effect. Each of these are different (except the Health Potion). Before a fight, you’ll have the choice to assign a Potion to your Brew slot, and your Belt slot.



[h3]Brew[/h3]
Brew slot is where you assign a Potion to have its effects last the duration of the battle. This, in essence, is the old Potion system, just now with a limit of 1 Potion. Too often, Potions would be forgotten about or not used until it was too late, and saved up for the Void fight. I really liked how this system used to work, with a prior choice needing to be made before each fight. The limit to 1 now encourages people to use them more often during a run. It also harkens back to both of the core philosophies mentioned earlier. Once Brewed, that Potion is spent. And knowing which Potion to take into which fight comes from experience.

[h3]Belt[/h3]
Belt slot is a system which allows you to use Potions in a way that is familiar to other games. You can take a single Potion into a fight to be used reactively. If you don’t use your Belt Potion during an encounter, it isn’t consumed! (so there really is never a reason not to have something in there). Their effects are usually a single time strong effect, that may help swing the tide of battle in tense moments!

I wanted to answer a few of the most common questions I’ve had during this process:

Why the limit of 1 Belt Potion. I’d much prefer 2 or 3!
This actually was thought about quite a bit. In the end, Vault's potion drop amount makes it so that this becomes not much of a choice (there isn’t that many during a run). You'd easily just Belt up most of your Potions for fights, rather than actually have to think about which to take. Looking back at the core philosophy, Vault wants to make players make tough choices, ideally ones informed from past play, and opening up more slots (or access to any in your collection) removes a lot of that I feel.

Are you worried about the complexity of the system?
Originally it was something to be aware of, but the key I felt was delivering the UI in a simple and easy to use way that helped make the system make sense. Part of that was also auto equipping a Potion into your Belt, if it was empty. I think it also removes some weight in the fact they’re not cards anymore. Often that was confusing for players starting out.

At the end of the day, I know its a big change to an established system, and there might be some trepidation! I’ve been in close contact with those testing the new system and so far, even for those who were a bit hesitant, most have ended up with a positive response. I hope everyone gives it a try and finds it to be positive also!

In the end, thanks for sticking by me as I work through changes like this! Always a scary time as a dev!


So, you’re probably thinking “What about that Spider Nest fight?”. You know the one, the one you’d save all those Exploding and Crippling Potions for...

Yes, that fight has been tweaked!

So Dabor and I have sat down and gone over a bunch of balance changes. Nerfs, buffs etc. We’ve analyzed the data from the last few months and really addressed a few outliers (I see you Birth Pit, ending everyone's runs!). This is a constant ongoing process and we’ll continue to keep an eye on things moving forward. Expect a potential tickle up of things in the next week or two depending how this all shakes out as well! A full list of the changes can be found below.


So, there has been a surge of new players recently, which I’m very thankful for! Welcome to you all! However, one thing is a few more crashes have shown up, which is only natural. I’ve had my hands tied as this Potion patch has been brewing for sometime. However now the builds will be up to date - so I’ll be keeping a closer eye on things and hotfixing daily anything that shows up again.

I’m very sorry if you’ve been affected by these bugs. I’m usually able to tend to all bugs within 24-48 hours, however the way this patch cycle has gone, because of the major change, required a bit longer sorry!

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I’ll leave things here for now, this is already quite long and I feel bad for the awesome translators!! Thank you as always for the flood of lovely reviews, I’m so glad to hear you’re all enjoying Vault! There is lots more things in the works, can’t wait to share more with you all!

Thanks again -- happy Void hunting!

All for now.
- Josh




Patch Notes
- Brand new Potion system has been added!
- Two new Potions have been added.
- Forgotten Fuse now has a counter showing how much damage it will do.

Bugs
- Fixed a number of missing translations.
- Fixed the crash that was happening on the Soul Collector.
- Fixed a crash based on Tutorial display.
- Fixed a crash at the Spell Singer.
- Fixed a bug caused by card images losing their parent.
- Fixed a bug with card trails.
- Fixed a bug on card images caused by alternative artwork.
- Fixed a bug caused by monster previews being wrong.

Balance
- Void Spider AP increased by 1 and Frenzy lowered by 4 on all difficulties.
- Bruce's AP scales less later on the floor. Has 1 less AP and 1 more Frenzy on Impossible so he scales particularly less in long late-floor fights.
- Birth Pit has 2 less AP across all difficulties, and Pinkies have 1 less AP on Impossible
- Corpse Mound has 2 less AP on Impossible
- Dolus has 3 more AP across all difficulties
- Congregation's Peck replaced with do-nothing Squawk ability. Changed to have 2 AP with 2/3/4 Frenzy depending on difficulty.
- Arkaos Axe has 1 more AP on Normal and Hard
- Berserker has 1 more AP on Impossible
- Taxidermist Creations have 1 more AP on Impossible
- Hag applies 1 more Burn on Normal
- Starcallers have 2 more AP across all difficulties
- Dragon Whelpling on Impossible does 1 less Burn and traded 1 AP for 1 Frenzy (so he starts the same but scales less and is easier to debuff)
- Dragon Mother's block limiting is now 10/9/8 instead of 10/8/6 across Normal/Hard/Impossible
- Future tweaks will likely happen to Bloodhive (too easy on Impossible), the Council (too easy on all difficulties) and and Wicked Worshippers (killing side enemies isn't a viable strategy).