Across the Obelisk News

Hello everyone. Fast hotfix to solve a problem with some item activations that were not being fired properly (F.e. Hourglass of Death).

As always, thanks to all of you for your support, feedback, and understanding.

Greetings adventurers!

The wait is finally over and Update 1.1 is here! at 17:00 CEST today! This patch touches on almost every aspect of the game, so let’s dive in!

[h2]The Black Forge & the Frozen Sewers[/h2]
Two new dungeon-type areas have been added to the game—each of them with its own lore, new events, items, enemies, and bosses.

We've been talking about them for a while and we've made several previews, so just a reminder that you can find the Black Forge on the Velkarath map, inside the raging volcano. The Frozen Sewers is located below the elven city on the Faeborg map.

[h2]Combat Log[/h2]
One of the most requested features since release has been to have a place to see what has happened during a turn of combat and what cards have been used.

With the new combat log, both novice and veteran players, will be able to see in detail what cards the enemies have used, the different effects they have gained or lost, if any item or trait has been activated, as well as the general status of each hero and enemy at the beginning and end of each round.

This is the first pass for the combat log, so there may be changes and tweaks over time.

[h2]Weekly Challenge & New Cardbacks[/h2]
To make the Weekly Challenges more varied and with more personality, we have added several new features to each Weekly Challenge.

They still have their own fixed seed and preset set of heroes, but now each one will have its own theme. That means that they will have one or more modifiers specific to that Weekly, plus, they will have a reduced set of corruptions and new thematic corruptions that only appear in that Weekly.

Also, to make them even more unique and exciting. By completing each Weekly Challenge you will be rewarded with exclusive cardbacks that you can't earn elsewhere in the game! Each week one cardback will be available (related to the theme of the WC), but as the weeklies will rotate, you will have the chance to get those missing cardbacks.

[h2]Obelisk Challenge Improvements[/h2]

• Added four new possible bosses that can appear as final boss on the third floor, along with the Archon Nihr.
  
• Now during the draft and on the map, the three bosses (one on each floor) that you will face in that Obelisk challenge will be shown, to make it easier to make deckbuilding decisions. In addition, the enemies and champions of each combat will also be pre-displayed, to make it easier to choose the route to take.
  
• To spice up the initial combats and have more variety of enemies, we have added the enemies that appear in the Wolf Wars (whether you have or not the DLC) as possible enemies that appear in random combats, both in the adventure mode and in the Obelisk Challenge.
  
• We have given a balance pass to all the bosses in the Obelisk Challenge mode, Ignidoh, and Tulah, now they are more manageable and more in line with the other bosses on the second floor.
  
• New events have been added, where you can buy the new items of the new adventure zones and even the new pet "blobs" if you are lucky.
  

[h2]New Corruptions & Monster Pets[/h2]
More than 15 new corruptions have been added, some of these corruptions are exclusive and will only appear in the corresponding Weekly Challenge.

We have made a general balance pass to all the corruptions of the game, changing values, functionalities, and difficulty of some of them. For example, The "Upwind" corruption is now more powerful, but it has been changed from Common to Rare. Or the "Hexproof" corruption now adds fewer buffer charges in each round.

Now enemies can have pets! Some of the new enemies introduced in the patch and in the DLC make use of this new system. There is also a new type of corruption that can add cute "Blobs" as enemy pets for that combat.

[h2]Improved Gamepad and Keyboard support[/h2]
Added better support for gamepads and controllers. This is a work in progress that will require some more time and iterations, as there are a lot of complex menus in the game. With this first patch, the game loop is functional (including combat) but is a bit barebone. We have been working hard to finish the current patch and we ran out of time but full compatibility is what we are working on right now, so expect some small patches in the following days to improve each window/interface. We’ll be looking for your feedback to help refine and polish this feature to be intuitive and smooth for anyone wanting to play with a gamepad.

Added an option in the settings to see the numeric keyboard shortcuts during combat and to be able to play cards with it.

[h2]General Changes[/h2]

• The tutorial has been improved, adding several new steps in the city to teach new players the importance of upgrading and crafting new cards, as well as purchasing items. Bear in mind that the tutorial is only available on your first single-player game.
  
• The experience curve required to level up heroes and obtain perks has been modified to be much faster. The first 20 levels of each hero and therefore the gaining of 20-30 perk points is significantly faster than before.
  
• The score bonus of the last levels of madness and obelisk challenge has been increased, effectively increasing the score you get from the runs from patch 1.1 onwards.
  
• The artwork of the remaining hero cards containing stock art (more than 200) has been changed.
  
• Combat backgrounds have been improved making them clearer and more vibrant.
  
• Several new soundtracks have been added for combat (especially in new areas)
  
• Added and changed sound effects on some enemies.
  
• We've made small balance changes to a few cards, mostly to monster and boss cards.
  
• Improved performance and stability in multiplayer.
  
• Fixed the reported bugs!
  

[h2]The Wolf Wars DLC[/h2]
Our first story DLC "The Wolf Wars" has just been released!

When we started creating the game and thought about the heroes, their stories, their acquaintances, and their intertwined events, we always had the itch to delve into some of those stories where several of our heroes interact.

The Wolf Wars is one of those stories that are mentioned during the game, if not the most mentioned during Act I in Senenthia. Thanks to this DLC we finally have the opportunity to expand the lore of the game in this regard.

The DLC is not only about the lore, of course! It also includes a new mischievous hero (Yogger), a new pet, and several new hero skins.

You can get hold of the DLC right here.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2325780/Across_The_Obelisk_The_Wolf_Wars/

[h2]Concluding Remarks[/h2]
We are very proud of this great patch 1.1! It brings a lot of new content, long-awaited features, and improvements in almost every aspect of the game.

We believe that with this patch, the game is in a really exceptional state. We are aware that it has taken us a bit longer than expected, but we are still a small team of 3 people and during this time a lot of things have happened, Christmas and holidays, family issues, and unexpected delays in general.

We hope you like both the patch and the DLC, and that you enjoy them as much as we did making them. Don't forget that it doesn't end here, we are already working on the next update. So stay with us, we still have a lot of cool things planned and stories to tell!

As a bit of tease, we can tell you that “soon” your team will be able to visit a brand new land in Act 2 or Act 3, where new enemies, quests, and items await you to be discovered.

As always, thanks to all of you for your support and feedback, see you soon!

- Across the Obelisk Team

Greetings Adventurers!

Tomorrow is the big day! We are on the eve of launching our newest DLC: The Wolf Wars, alongside Patch 1.1: The Black Forge, and we are absolutely thrilled for you to experience what we’ve been working on! Over the last few weeks, we’ve given you insights into the many changes and additions coming to Across the Obelisk. Our two new zones are coming with Patch 1.1 - the Black Forge, and the Icy-Sewers below Faeborg (you can read it here). Sought-after changes like improved gamepad support, new Cardbacks for you to earn in our newly revamped Weekly Challenge, and the inclusion of the highly-requested Combat Log (which you can also read here)!

Best of all, all of these changes coming with Patch 1.1 are FREE to all of our players!

As most of you know, The Wolf Wars is an event that is mentioned throughout your adventure in Senenthia. Magnus, one of our leading Heroes, fought bravely in them and earned the respect of his allies and enemies alike, earning his sword the name “Wolfslayer”. In this Dev Diary, let us take a look back and explore such a defining moment in many of our Heroes' histories.

[h2]The Wolf Wars[/h2]
Ten years ago, Queen Amelia’s dream of creating a safe place within Senenthia for all the races of the Kingdom to unify them under one banner was on the verge of realization. After months of strenuous deliberation with the Werewolf Chieftain Gorlo, he decided to stymie negotiations and declared that anyone who entered the Forest would be prey to his werewolves.

Fearing for their safety, the other races of Senenthia pleaded with Queen Amelia for help. Thus, the Queen gathered her army and marched into the forest in search of the Werewolf Chieftain. Queen Amelia’s army was soon joined by Werewolves who refuted Gorio’s command, believing their former Chieftain would bring about destruction and ruin. They sided with the Queen in hopes of a better future.

This is where our story begins…

In order to access the Wolf Wars, you’ll need to read Yogger’s diary found at his encampment on the northern path of Act 1.

Upon entering the new zone, you’ll be given a new party of heroes with preset decks. Since The Wolf Wars takes place ten years in the past, do not expect to earn experience or new cards with your chosen party of heroes - there are plenty of other rewards for you to earn instead!



The Wolf Wars map has three main paths for you to explore, each containing several events and different challenges for you to overcome. It is within these events that you’ll learn more about some of the companions you know in the rest of the game, be it coming to know of their younger selves or even relatives 👀👀👀! Completing these events will earn you skins for five of our Heroes, which will require multiple playthroughs to unlock them all.



After making it to the end and defeating Chieftain Gorio, you’ll unlock our newest hero, the mighty, unparalleled, and immutably brilliant Yogger! (Yes, we are biased...) There will be a lot of events and interactions for you to read through and get more context to the characters' relationships and, as ever, new characters will have the possibility to add more options to events in the game!



Yogger is much like Magnus, a warrior-type hero who will receive subsequent cards that befit a warrior's playstyle with a twist. Yogger’s special ability is to generate “Meat”, a new type of food card that will make use of his innate abilities. What these abilities are and how you utilize his deck is for you to discover! We’re excited to see what kind of combinations you’ll come up with!

Upon starting a new adventure with Yogger in your party, you may find it beneficial if you stop by his old encampment just like with other heroes such as Malukah… there may just be someone else who’d like to join your party!

The big question that a lot of our wonderful community has been asking is how much The Wolf Wars will sell for. Let us answer this simply: $9.99 USD! There's still time to wishlist it, so you don't forget; not that you ever would.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2325780/Across_The_Obelisk_The_Wolf_Wars/

In addition to all of this awesome content, to celebrate the release of the Wolf Wars and Patch 1.1, Across the Obelisk is having a Free-to-Play weekend! Starting March 30th at roughly 19:00 CET, Across the Obelisk will be available for everyone to play during this time, free of charge! Have a friend on the fence about getting the game? Want to test out the game yourself before making a purchase? This is your chance to do just that.



Be sure to join the Discord as well, for throughout the free weekend we’ll have Mentors on standby to help guide you through the initial parts of the game, many veterans who are more than happy to play and form parties through our LFG (looking for group) channels, and a voice channel system that you can create a new voice channel dynamically without the need for admins/moderators to be present! Also, we have a really awesome community of people who love to help answer questions for new players.

Thank you all for continuing to support our game, and sharing in this journey with us. We're having a blast and we hope that you do, too!

- Across the Obelisk Team

P.S. Bonus Yogger!

Greetings Adventurers!

We’re rapidly approaching the launch date for our next DLC, The Wolf Wars, and Update 1.1: The Black Forge! In our last Dev Diary, we took the opportunity to reveal both zones that’ll be introduced with 1.1, along with their respective bosses. Today we’ll look at some of the new features coming to Across the Obelisk, as well as some tweaks to existing systems within the game!



[h2]The Combat Log![/h2]
Sometimes you just need to know how that last round went, other times, you’ll be scratching your head to figure out what the boss just did. Our latest addition is sure to delight both novice and veteran players alike and should help you dissect each turn with clarity so that you can create better strategies next time!

[h2]Improved Gamepad support![/h2]
We’ve heard the requests and we are ready to deliver! In Update 1.1 we’ll be adding improvements to those seeking to move away from keyboard and mouse, in favor of Steam-supported gamepads! Combat should be remarkably improved on controllers/gamepads, along with full functionality across the menus! There are still further improvements to be made in later patches, so please be sure to let us know what you think; we’ll be looking for your feedback to help refine and polish this feature to be intuitive and smooth for anyone wanting to play with a gamepad.



[h2]Weekly Challenge[/h2]
Also coming with Update 1.1 is our rework of the Weekly Challenge system! In case you’ve never tried our Weekly challenges, the concept is simple: you take a fixed party of heroes on a custom "seeded" run designed to test your capabilities! Each Weekly Challenge will have its own specific theme, with special modifiers and corruptions unique to each week’s event!



Completing each challenge will now reward you with exclusive cardbacks that you can’t earn elsewhere in the game! Though, don't worry if you miss a cardback you like, we’ll be sure to rotate cardbacks from previous weeks into additional Weekly Challenges later on!



That’s all for this Dev Diary! In the next, we will be looking in-depth into the additions coming with the Wolf Wars DLC!

Greetings Adventuers!

Today marks the first of our Dev Diaries leading up to the release of our newest DLC: The Wolf Wars! We know you want to know more about the DLC, but we're going to take a small detour and talk about our previously teased update, Patch 1.1, which will be releasing alongside The Wolf Wars!

This update will be completely free for all Across the Obelisk players. For this Dev Diary, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at the two new zones, as well as the bosses you’ll encounter in them.



The Black Forge, a once powerful settlement the Dwarves built deep in the Volcano of Velkarath has long been sealed away. What led them to seal away this once great city? All will be revealed in time.

You and your friends may stumble upon the entrance of the lost abandoned city at the base of the Volcano, the looming Gates of the Black Forge barred and heated to the touch. Should your party tempt fate, seeking treasures and knowledge locked away, be prepared to fight the machinations the Dwarves left behind. From constructs to living crucibles, be ready to suffer the heat of the Velkarath’s Volcano given form! All the enemies within the Black Forge embody their environment, representative of the heat that helped forge them into existence.

As you reach the deepest depths of the Forge You'll come across a relic of a bygone era, a Machine of War left to rust.



DT-800, fueled by the flames of Velkarath’s Volcano is our Zone Boss for the Black Forge! Serving as a 4-piece Boss, you’ll need to quickly prioritize the order in which you dismantle DT-800 whilst managing the burn stacks he applies - gaining shielding for every stack of Burn you let linger upon your party!



Velkarath is not the only place with secrets hidden below the surface. Deep in the sewers below the Elven city of Faeborg lies a place where the Ratmen once settled. During the activation of the Obelisk, the descent of the Frost Calamity laid waste to the Sewers of Faeborg, freezing everything in its wake.

You’ll find two entrances into the Sewers of Faeborg: one locked by key, the likes of which you’ll learn to obtain on your own! The other, is a crack in Faeborg’s walls, leading to icy-waters that’ll see you descend into the Sewers. The skittering hordes of Ratmen, long frozen by the Frost Calamity are now under the command of Faeborg’s Dracomancers.

Yet not everything is under the Faeborg’s Dracomancers control, The once Great Rat King Ratone has escaped the freeze! King Ratone, benevolent in his own ways, may offer you a pact that you may choose to accept. The terms of Ratone’s offer are yours to discover on your own when the patch releases! Be warned - if you do not accept his offer, be prepared to fight. The Great King of Rats will not take your refusal lightly.



Blessed by the Frost Calamity, King Ratone embodies the elements of Frost and the “Curse” of the Ratmen. We wish our players the best of luck in taking on the challenges patch 1.1 presents! Join us at this time next week as we dive into what else we have lined up in the next free update coming to Across the Obelisk that we think you'll really be excited about. We promise that before we launch The Wolf Wars DLC, you'll get a full dev diary about that, too!

Thank you to everyone who continues to support our game! Be sure to join our Discord for future updates and announcements!