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  3. Version 174 is now available

Version 174 is now available

Version 174 is now available on Steam. It brings a lot of changes, including new creatures, new items, a new token and a new event, plus new algorithm for generating the map.

Release notes are available here, as well as below.

ゲームの日本語版はまだ完全に翻訳されていません。 ご不便をおかけして申し訳ございません。

游戏的简体中文版本尚未完全翻译。 很抱歉给您带来不便。

And here's a short (10 min) video that highlights the changes in this version:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

--- release notes v174 ---

[h3]CHANGES[/h3]

This update is focused on giving players more control over encounters, while making encounters more diverse.

[h3]SAVES FROM EARLIER VERSIONS[/h3]

Please do not use saved games from the earlier versions, because of the changes in content this is bound to result in glitches.

[h3]A DIFFERENT MAP[/h3]

The rules of generating the world have been changed, you will find the new map to be quite different.

With one of the future updates, we're looking to give you more control over the parameters of how this chapter is built (e.g. min/max number of specific objects) so that you can customise the difficulty of your experience. We don't have a specific date for this feature at this time.



[h3]RUINS ARE NOW A PROPER BIOME[/h3]

It's been bothering us for some time that Ruins were a mix between an object and a biome. They are now, finally, a proper biome.

You will see the new visuals, and will encounter new multi-hex regions, related to Ruins.

Spitters are now no longer limited with just 1 hex for their moves.



[h3]ABANDONED PALACE IS IN[/h3]

The map now has a new object, Abandoned palace, that has its own encounter design (and its own loot). This is the spawning point of Spitters: destroy it to stop their spawning.



[h3]A NEW TOKEN: RESTORATION[/h3]

Related to Abandoned palace is the new token: Restoration.

In the coming updates, you will see it in another new event.

The token creates specific outcomes (such as in the event with the Palace) and as a general rule, absorbs token of Damage at the end of each encounter (i.e. Restoration + Damage won't click during the event, but will offset each other at the end of the event).



[h3]THREE NEW SPELLS[/h3]

Related to the Restoration token are 3 new spells in the Spellbook, yours to use.

Speaking of the Spellbook, we continue to work on its design, and in one of the upcoming updates will add filtering by element as well as easier navigation by specific sections.



[h3]HOTKEYS![/h3]

By the popular request:
  • "SPACE" in encounters now results in "NEXT ROUND"
  • "1", "2" and "3" in encounters open the corresponding Spellbooks of party members


[h3]FORMULA HIGHLIGHTS[/h3]

Speaking about spellcasting interface, now when you click (or hover over) a specific element in the hand of a character, it will highlight the places in the currently open spell formulas where it may go – and dim down the rest of the formulas.



[h3]SPITTERS RECEIVED ANIMATIONS[/h3]

They lost their flame (which we haven't animated yet), but they got some moves. We continue working on the animations of all the creatures, it just takes some time to get things right.

[h3]NEW CREATURES[/h3]

A big (huge) change for this week is the introduction of creature subtypes.

Where version 173 had 1 type of gigglers, version 174 now has 3 different creatures.

Where version 173 had 1 type of shadows, version 174 now has 3 different creatures.

Where version 173 had 1 type of spitters, version 174 now has 2 different creatures.

The goal of this is to add variety to the encounters.

Each subtype has their specific loot, and their special action (the other actions are taken with a certain probability, and the % of probability for each action is different for different sub-types).

Out of 8 creatures, 3 retain the visuals from the earlier version and the other 5 will get proper visuals over the course of the coming weeks. In the current build, you will see sketches that we've made as the first step on this path.

The discovery cards for groups are coming either with the hotfix or next week.



[h3]MIXED CREATURE PARTIES[/h3]

All creature parties are now generated and spawned as mixed parties, within their own type.



[h3]CHESTS AND CORPSES NOW VISIBLE ON THE MAP[/h3]

Chests and corpses are now visible on the map, so you no longer have to guess what's inside of a specific event.

This is made possible because Ruins are now a proper biome.

In the future, we'll fix passive/active event triggers so that if you step over a chest, or skip turn there, you don't have to engage in an encounter – you will have a choice.

[h3]MAGIC NODE EVENT IS UPDATED[/h3]

It required 4 Frost to activate, now it needs 12. Just to make it a tad more challenging.

[h3]FIVE NEW ALCHEMIC ITEMS[/h3]

There are 5 new alchemic items in the game now. They already work, and will receive their proper visuals with one of the upcoming updates.

[h3]ALCHEMIC ITEMS ARE ALL RE-BALANCED[/h3]

Almost every item has been re-balanced, and some changed recipes.

Overall the goal is to simplify and allow more intuitive understanding of their usability (esp. in regard to the IMMUNE effect).

[h3]UPDATED DISEASE[/h3]

One disease was issuing Flash tokens, which caused splash Blindness when combined with Frost. We felt it was too much. This disease now is structured as having a chance to issue Blindness, not Flash.

[h3]FOG OF WAR HAS 3 LEVELS (SORT OF)[/h3]

We're moving towards a fog of war that will have 3 different levels.

In the current build, you will see that this is the case already – visually.

In the next build, the information displayed in level 2 will also change – you will no longer have full visibility into what's happening there, you will only know the landscape in that area.

[h3]INCREASED SPEED IN ENCOUNTERS[/h3]

Dealing elements and other actions in encounters are now a bit faster, to make the encounter more dynamic.

[h3]A FEW NEW INFO WINDOWS[/h3]

The conversion of Fear into stress and Damage into Injuries is now better communicated at the end of encounters.

We also added an info window showing the loot lost when retreating.

There's still a few more info windows that are in the works. Our goal is to clearly communicate every change in character stats and effects, so that nothing goes unnoticed. It will take a couple more updates for this to happen.



[h3]UPCOMING BUILD SCHEDULE[/h3]

January 08 – version 174 + 174.hotfix
January 14 – version 175
January 21 – version 176

[h3]THE FOCUS OF THE UPCOMING UPDATES[/h3]

There's a few things that we'll be working on, next:
  • We'll introduce "Alert" state of opposing parties, so that they won't jump into pursuit in the same day when they spot player party.
  • We'll add animations and visuals where these are currently lacking, and we'll bring more Discovery cards.
  • We'll update the Spellbook with filters and sections.
  • We'll work on additional notifications related to changes in characters, as this needs more feedback.
  • We'll work on making the flow of the encounter easier to understand: WHO does WHAT, which is currently in complex encounters can be hard to follow (Spitter issues Acid, another issues Acid with splash, then environment effect deals Fire, and Fire converts all that Acid – it can look like your character just got 5 Fire out of the blue, unless you followed the steps closely).


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See you next week!