Battle Bands News

Just a quick hotfix to address a small list of bugs and updates!

• Added ability to click bandmates to view their hand.
  
• Fixed issue with description on Prepared Production Manager and Disruptive Loyal Heckler.
  
• Fixed issue with description on Notebook of Legend and Musical Notebook.
  
• Added Bummer card icon to the Info screen.
  
• Added note about using number keys to change instrument to the Info screen.
  
• Bumped Font of "Exhaust" "First Draw" and "Retain" text.
  
• "Uplifting Strain" upgrade "Pensive" replaced with "Safe" upgrade.
  
• "Bassist Spaces" upgrade "Safe" replaced with "Exploding" upgrade.
  
• "Mirroring Melody" added +1 protection, +1 Hype, and "Quickly" replaced with "Warm" upgrade.
  

Thank you all for the continued feedback!

What's up, everybody, you're listening to Riff Radio! There's a new Reigning Boss Band in town, and that's only what's bubbling beneath the surface of one DEEP update!

Early Access Patch #25 Brings so much to Battle Bands, including but not limited to:

• A new Reign headed by "Sirens Scream"
  
• "The Final Judgement" chilling out and battling as a normal boss under the moniker "The Judgement"
  
• All the normal Bosses have been shifted and updated for balance and clarity.
  
• The bots, both friend and foe, have been overhauled to be smarter, more responsive and better team players.
  
• Protection is now removed at the end of your opponents turn. This applies to both Player bands, and Boss bands.
  
• In Match UI has been improved to more clearly communicate what cards are effecting whom and how.
  
• And so many other general fixes and changes that it's hard to express just how big this update really is!
  

"A rising tide raises all boats" - or so the saying goes. When Sirens Scream is raising the tide, boats have a funny way of going in the other direction. As the waves rise in Riff City, so do the hopes of many potential Crew-mates. Use their ambition to your advantage or against your opponents with some fishy new strategies that really hold water!

5 New Player Cards that enable crew to be copied, stolen, buffed and used against other bands.

12 New Gear to help navigate the crowded, watery streets of Riff City.

4 New Moments to discover as Riff City slowly sinks beneath the waves.

2 New Card Upgrades that let existing strategies morph and shift like a rushing river.

Overcome the allure of the "Sirens Scream" as you hold your friends close and fish-friends closer!



[h2]The Judgement[/h2]



When not reigning over Riff City with a velvet fist, this tall and mysterious figure can be found working on themselves at the Night Beach. Spending their time tempting all who cross this sandy path...

"The Judgment" is now a Boss that can be found in Riff City... when they aren't busy reigning as "The Final Judgement".

[h2]Tour Mode Bosses Overhaul[/h2]
Bosses have had their general strategies updated to be more understandable. This has led to some Bosses having cards removed and many of their cards being adjusted to read more clearly and work alongside the new Protection change.

[h2]Protection Change[/h2]

Protection now evaporates at the end of your opponent's turn.

This applies to both Player bands and Boss bands which leads to more intentional decision making about Protection and its perceived value versus Aggressive tactics. We look forward to hearing how you all feel about this change after you have had a chance to try it!

[h2]Quality of Life Improvements[/h2]

• More In-Match Icons have been added to help clarify moment-to-moment gameplay.
  
• The Hype Bar now displays a fiery vfx to indicate which band is going to win at the end of a round.
  
• Bosses will now shout their thoughts at player bands. (Asking each other for energy, and some extra flavor text associated with their specific cards)
  
• Players can now view their Bandmates Hands with the number keys 1 through 4 or the directional arrow keys. This should help provide more information about what both their human and bot bandmates have in their hands.
  
• The number of Bummers in players Hands, Draw piles, Graveyards and Exhaust piles are now displayed alongside the icon for each pile.
  
• We've added some clarity to Saving and Loading at the start of a Tour. You will now see an "Empty" save slot when you do not have a Tour save file.
  

[h2]Bot Overhaul:[/h2]


Bot Bandmembers will now chat about what they have, need, and want. On top of better communication they also have a better understanding of when to play more complex cards, such as high cost cards and intentionally discarding cards.

[h2]General Balance Changes & Fixes:[/h2]

• "Quick Keys" now gives 1 fewer hype and 1 more Protection on play.
  
• "Quick Riff" now gives 1 fewer hype and 1 more Protection on play.
  
• "Promising Beat" no longer has "Safe" upgrade.
  
• "Distracting Cross Stick" upgrade "Maintain" replaced with "Protective"
  
• "Chillin In The Groove" upgrade "Pensive" replaced with "Protective"
  
• "Distracting Glare" upgrade "Hard" & "Shining" Replaced with "Incredible" upgrade.
  
• "Deceitful Draft" now gives two "Good Ideas" on overwrite.
  
• "Off Key Notes" gives one "Embarrassed" twice instead of two once.
  
• "Shake It Off" draws all bandmember 1 card on discard and 1 more hype on play.
  
• "Melancholy Lick" costs 1 fewer energy.
  
• "Thunderous Cacophony" now gives all 4 "Broken Things" to one random opponent .
  
• "Crazy Keys" now gives 1 more hype.
  
• "Crazy Beat" now gives 1 more hype.
  
• "Practiced" upgrade now gives 1 Protection.
  
• "Building" upgrade now gives +2 Hype to all snares in hand.
  
• "Cool Jam" upgrade "Rejuvenating" replaced with "Protective"
  
• "Genius Opener" gives 1 more hype and "Maintain" upgrade replaced with "Safe"
  
• "Happy Melody" gives 1 fewer hype.
  
  
• "On Muck:" effects now happen at the end of the Player turn, before the Opponents turn.
  
• Final match Hype Goal raised to 500.
  
• One new Vendor added to each Reign for more Gear variety.
  
• Money can no longer go lower than zero.
  
• Invalid Band Name more apparent when in Band Setup.
  
• Cards refresh faster when their energy cost changes.
  
• Grand Royale scheduling fixed for more time zones.
  
• Ultra Slasher audio fixed.
  
• Axel animation idle loop fixed.
  
• Unplayable card bug fixed.
  
• "Clipper" name tag no longer gets lost under the card stack.
  
• Overhead labels of bosses adjusted to fit better.
  
• Milestone issues fixed.
  
• Updating card bugs fixed.
  
• Many other miscellaneous fixes and changes.
  

Yowza, that's the type of update you can really SINK some hours into! Come chat about all the big changes and additions over on our Discord, or find some scurvy dogs to ship out with and take on Sirens Scream. We love hearing from you punks, so don't be shy and as always- thanks for listening!

I would claim 500 Mile(stones) just to be the station you keep tuning in to- Welcome back to Riff Radio!

Early Access Patch #24 adds Milestones and Prestige Levels to Battle Bands, which reward credits and help players keep track of how far they have come!
This is also a general maintenance patch, so it includes bug and balance fixes made since the big Reign System Update!

[h2]Milestones & Prestige:[/h2]



While playing Tour and Royale Mode, players will organically complete Milestones through normal gameplay. Earn Credits and Prestige experience for completing Milestones such as upgrading and drawing cards, taking out opposing crew, protecting your band, generating energy and others!
Prestige level represents how much you have accomplished in Battle Bands and may come with additional bonuses in the future besides the bragging rights it already offers.
This system will help players look back on their time spent in Riff City fondly, as well as rake in some extra credits!
You can find your milestones under the "Player" tab in the Compendium!

[h3]Balance Changes & FIxes:[/h3]

• Compendium Gear count updated to reflect reality.
  
• Upgrades during opening moment now only display current Reign.
  
• Grand Royale schedule now accounts properly for all time zones.
  
• Discarding priority now includes starter "Quicks" properly.
  
• Exhausting priority now includes starter "Quicks" properly.
  
• "Helpful" upgrade now draws cards on all turns.
  
• "Gear Getter" priority fixed.
  
• Priority for some upgrades adjusted.
  
• "Nice Note From Mum" on muck effect now triggers properly so drawn cards are not mucked.
  
• "Shout Out To The Band" bot priority updated to be higher value.
  
• "Deceitful Draft" now has "Patiently" upgrade to add a retain option.
  
• "Box Of Random Connectors" now costs $195 and is no longer offered in opening moments.
  

And that wraps up today's Riff Radio news update! Be sure to join our Discord if you're looking for new band-mates to play with or want to give us some feedback. We love hearing from you punks, so don't be shy and as always- thanks for listening!

The power dynamics are shifting in Riff City!

Both The Bardbarians and The Scrap Titan have decided to step up and take the mantle as... Reigning Champion of Riff City! While under their individual rule, things in Riff City will change.

Reign System:

There are now three possible Final Bosses to encounter in Tour Mode. Each Final Boss changes your Tour to have different Reign specific Player Cards, Upgrades, Moments (Opening & Map), and Gear effected by who you will face in Final Arena.

Every Tour and Royale will have a Reign randomly chosen at its start. The Reign can be identified by the Opening Moment and on the Tour map by the icon above the Final Arena (in the middle of Riff City).

Spoilers Ahead!

New Bosses:

[h3]The Final Scrapper:[/h3]
The Scrap Titan has put in the work and has upgraded to his final form! Now harder hitting! His alliance with the Gear Getters of Riff City has given him the strength to take over the city as he tries to convert it into Scrap!



[h3]Bardbarians Unleashed:[/h3]
With new recruits and more rage than ever, The Bardbarians have supercharged themselves and have begun to transform Riff City into the chaotic land they've always dreamt of.



[h3]The Final Judgement:[/h3]
The Final Judgement remains in the Final Arena as one of three possible Final Bosses - but the city around him has changed. Discover new cards, gear, and moments that aim to spice up this familiar foe.

New Cards:

Each Reign includes Five New Player Cards (One for each Instrument and one Common between them all). These enable specific strategies and are designed to reflect the Reign. The new cards are only available in their specific Reign, so there is no overlap.
All the available cards can be viewed in the Compendium and will be denoted with their specific Reign Icon. This lets players know which cards are available in which Reign.

New Reign Upgrades:

Every Reign will introduce two unique upgrades across many new and current cards. These upgrades can be viewed in the Compendium and will be marked with their Reign Icon; these upgrades will only be available in the specific Reign they are a part of.

*"Under Cover" +1 protection on play for every 1 gear your band has.
*"Empowering" All Cards in players had gain +1 hype for the rest of the match.
*"Enhanced" +1 hype on play for every 2 gear your band has.
*"Quieting" All Cards in random opponents hand get -1 hype for the rest of the match.
*"Daring" +2 "Good Idea" to random opponents hand.
*"Shining" Exhaust 1 card in random opponents hand.

[h2]Core Card Upgrades[/h2]

*"Power" Ends other bands Song Section.

New Moments:

On top of 6 new "Core" Moments that have a chance to appear in every Tour -- each Reign adds a few moments that are specific to the new Ruler of Riff City. Each Reign also has a few unique Opening Moments for both Tour and Royale Mode. The Opening Moments will give players some new and varied starting options, while also informing them of the Reign they are entering.

New Gear:

Each Reign adds unique Gear that can be found in Vendors and Moments throughout Riff City. This new Gear can also be found in Royale as a way to reinforce existing strategies and expand upon new ones.

Royale Reigns:

As you may have guessed - the Reign System does not stop in Tour Mode. Every Royale will also be designated a random Reign, which includes Opening Moments, Player Cards, Upgrades and a Reign Specific Vendor.

Riff City News:

Along with the Reign System, we've added a News widget to the Main Menu. This displays some of the recent game updates, events and will usually include a link to the Steam Patch Notes for more information.



[h3]Bug Fixes, Card Changes, & Quality of Life:[/h3]

• Tour Vendor UI layout updated.
  
• Middle Mouse click a node on the Riff City Map to "ping" it and let your bandmates know where you want to go.
  
• Progress signifier added to "Backstage Pass" selection UI.
  
• Common "Memorable Lick" card added for Instrument type clarity.
  
• Common Buddy Added to increase moment clarity.
  
• Compendium Gear hyperlinks font size adjusted.
  
• Morale is now worth more Tour Score in Tour Mode.
  
• "While in play" abilities that modify your cards in hand should now work correctly when drawing more cards.
  
• "Sizzle, Giggle, Splash" Freeto moment added to Compendium.
  
• "Production Manager" card art now has fewer fingers.
  
• "Backstage Pass" screen now has a header image.
  
• NPC Bands will now "GG" back after the match, with custom responses for each Boss.
  
• "Freeto's Four Piece" has had their play-speed turned up to help mitigate energy-trading delay.
  
• Halloween and Winter NPC Skins have been added to the Compendium.
  
• Tour Mode Shopkeepers now have custom narrative text depending on the Reign they are in.
  
• Gear "number of uses" is now displayed slightly to the side of the icon for better visual clarity.
  
• "Bouncer" Crew now gives "Signal The Bouncer" on play not every turn.
  
• "Fun Hook" upgrade "Exhaustingly Long" replaced with "Epic"
  
• "Cymbal Practice" upgrade "Burning" replaced with "Insulting"
  
• "Scream Self Raw On Key" bot priority updated.
  
• "Video Producer" bot priority updated.
  
• "Quick Call Back" bot priority updated.
  
• "Reminiscent Riff" bot priority updated.
  
• "Face Melting Finisher" bot priority updated.
  

We are super excited to hear how everyone fares against these new Final Bosses, and we hope to battle against you in this Fridays 3pm (EST) Grand Royale!

Welcome back to Riff Radio! We wanna know- do you wanna see some Reigns?

[h2]Something BIG is coming to Battle Bands...[/h2]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]The Reign System[/h2]
Introducing The Reign System! Once the update goes live, every Tour and Royale run will be Reigned over by one of three boss bands:

The Final Judgement
The Final Scrapper
or Bardbarians Unleashed

While playing under a particular Boss Band's Reign in Royale mode, you'll find unique Opening Moments, card upgrades, Gear and even new player cards! In Tour mode, you'll find all of that, plus unique Moments and new final boss fights against The Final Scrapper and Bardbarians Unleashed!

Hope you're ready for all this hot Content, because The Reign Update will go live on January 16!

We hope to see you comin' down on that sunny day- but until then, thanks for listening!