Huge update – version 1.20: balance changes & new content!

[p][/p][p][/p][h2]Hey everyone![/h2][p]It took us a bit longer than expected, but here we are – Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon version 1.20 is now live! And yes, this update is BIG (you’ll see that in a minute), so we believe the direct jump to v1.20 is justified :D[/p][p]As per usual, we’ll get to the full patch notes in a second. But first, let’s quickly break down this update. The most important features going live with version 1.20 are:[/p]

• [p]several balance changes (some of them being optional),[/p]
• [p]new content & Act 3 improvements,[/p]
• [p]various fixes and quality-of-life improvements (including per-character save filtering & marking items as favorites),[/p]
• [p]a ton of audio improvements,[/p]
• [p]console improvements (40 FPS support & fixed PlayStation’s saving failed issue)*.[/p]

[p]*Please note that consoles, as per usual, will need a few more days to approve the update and go live. But the wait will be worth it, as both consoles just got a huge upgrade: we introduced 40 FPS mode support! If your screen supports 40 FPS, we recommend enabling this mode along with VSync for a smoother gameplay experience.[/p][p]We had quite a lot of work with this update, as we needed to ensure all the design/balance changes were proper and didn’t completely break “numbers” in the game. That said, thank you so much to our amazing Discord playtesters who participated in the open beta tests and helped make sure that nothing wyrd happens in Avalon! As always, the best community delivered! We hereby grant each one of you a PhD in balance testing ;)[/p][p]Before we proceed, let’s watch our update trailer for a quick overview of version 1.20![/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h2]Balance update[/h2][p]Based on your repeated feedback and our internal observations, we found that the game becomes significantly easier during the second half of Act 2 (Cuanacht) and in Act 3 (Forlorn Swords). Players tended to get insanely strong easily, even if they didn’t actually want to; that’s why we decided to address this![/p][p]At the same time, we know that a lot of you love creating overpowered characters and running around with a shovel, one-hitting every encountered NPC, so some of the balance changes are optional and can be mitigated![/p][p][/p][p]Select items rebalance[/p][p]We’ve rebalanced more than 20 items that were just a tiny bit too strong, mostly crit chance-wise. We know most people don’t like getting their characters nerfed, so fear not – you will keep your current items and receive rebalanced duplicates. That way, you can still use your broken builds if you wish to! :D[/p][p]The full list of rebalanced items can be found in the patch notes below, and here are some examples:[/p][p][/p][p]Optional soft cap for stats[/p][p]This feature makes leveling up attributes past certain thresholds (soft caps) have diminishing returns. Let’s take Strength (STR) as an example:[/p]

• [p]from 1 to 20, each point of STR gives 2% melee damage, 3 max stamina and reduces armor weight by 1%;[/p]
• [p]from 21 to 40, each point of STR gives 1% melee damage, 2 max stamina and reduces armor weight by 0,5%;[/p]
• [p]from 41 and above, each point of STR gives only 0,5% melee damage, 1 max stamina and reduces armor weight by 0,2%.[/p]

[p]That said, if you want to be very efficient, 20 and 40 are the levels you should have in mind when distributing attributes. The thresholds are the same for each attribute, and the diminishing returns work similarly to the example above. See the full patch notes for details.[/p][p]This option is now enabled by default, but you can always turn it off if you don’t like it. Just go to Settings from the main menu.[/p][p][/p][p]Mana Shield changes[/p][p]For those unaware, the Mana Shield mechanics cause a percentage of the damage you receive to be first deducted from your mana. With a lot of mana points and mana regen, it was too easy to become practically invincible; the player’s mana bar effectively acted as a second, rapidly restoring health bar. We took some steps to prevent that:[/p]

• [p]after taking a hit with Mana Shield active, there’s now a short delay before your mana starts regenerating;[/p]
• [p]the Mana Shield keyword now also reduces mana regeneration in a 1:1 ratio.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]New content & Act 3 improvements [/h2][p]As promised in our previous update, we’re also introducing a bunch of new content and improvements, mostly connected to the Forlorn Swords (Act 3)! All the new stuff is already live in version 1.20 of the game. Enjoy![/p][p]The full list of new stuff is hefty; you can find it below. For now, let’s mention some of the more important ones.[/p][p][/p][p]Forlorn Swords (Act 3)[/p]

• [p]A new cave has been added near the Forlorn Swords Gate (Etherbloom Love).[/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]New mini-boss - Sleepwalker, was added near: Giants Crossroad, Ulfr Village and Volker Village.[/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]New mini-boss - Cairnguard, was added near: Sveinn Village, Capitol City and Mountain Stronghold.[/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Improved overall level art and level design. New terrain and paths have been added.[/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Added new items to find across the Forlorn Swords.[/p]
• [p]Added a small altar + loot near the Forlorn Swords border.[/p]
• [p]Changed the layout of the bandit camp in the mountains near the Forlorn Swords Gate.[/p]
• [p]Changed the enemies in Forlorn Swords Stronghold.[/p]
• [p]Changed enemy placement.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Quests-related stuff[/p]

• [p]Added a new quest, The Empty House. It tells a story of a horrifically disfigured Theud mystic begging to be put back together. Start it by visiting the abandoned houses just south of the Forlorn Main Gate.[/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Your beloved Alisa’s Seacoast Manor is now a customizable home.[/p]

[p][/p]

• [p]Added a new reward for the “Left Behind” and “The Shattered Pride” quests.[/p]
• [p]A new NPC can now be found in Remors' Cave.[/p][p][/p]

[p]Lastly, before going to the full v1.20 patch notes…[/p][p]New content is a great opportunity for some new screenshots, so take a look! [/p][p][/p][h2]Various fixes and quality-of-life improvements
(aka the full patch notes)[/h2][p]The list of new stuff, fixes, and improvements goes on and on… For those who enjoy a long read, you’re in for a treat :D Before we leave you to it, take a look at one of the quality of life improvements that a lot of you have been asking for![/p][p] [/p][p]System changes[/p]

• [p]Save files are now merged into one file. This will make it easier for you to manually download working save files from the cloud if needed and significantly simplify many systems. You can now also freely rename your save files and the game will no longer force rename them (do not change the extension as they will be ignored then)[/p]
• [p]\[PlayStation] The above change should fix the saving failed issue that occurred if you explored almost all scenes in the game.[/p]
• [p]\[Consoles] Added 40FPS mode support. If your screen supports 40 FPS, we recommend enabling this mode along with VSync for a smoother gameplay experience[/p]
• [p]\[PC] Added loading indicator when the game is synchronizing cloud files. Previously, the game became unresponsive until it finished[/p][p] [/p]

[p]Quests-related stuff[/p]

• [p]Item rebalances (remember: if you have any nerfed item you will receive their new, balanced copies in addition to keeping the old version if you want to continue using them)[/p]
  • [p]Drevan Bow – Ranged Critical Chance 25%>10%, ranged critical chance below 20% of stamina 25%>40%. Req: 6 STR, 10 DEX, 4 END[/p]
  • [p]Corpsebinder Gauntlets – Ranged Critical Chance 20%>Critical Damage 20%[/p]
  • [p]Corpsebinder Helmet – Ranged Critical Chance 15%>10%, Ranged Damage Multiplier 15%>20%[/p]
  • [p]Stonewarden Talisman – Critical Chance 10%>5%, added Critical Damage 5%[/p]
  • [p]Undertow Bloom Vest no longer increases Sneak Damage to Critical Damage conversion rate with item levels (conversion stays at 2:1) [/p]
  • [p]Titanium Tonic now has a limit to which it can increase Physical Damage and decrease Physical Damage gain 0.1%>0%[/p]
  • [p]Perilous Orb Ring now increases Critical Damage as well as Critical Chance, but no longer has Critical Chance gain with higher item levels[/p]
  • [p]Worker Bee‘s Robe – Critical Chance 15%>10%[/p]
  • [p]Fungal Envoy‘s Mycelium – Critical Chance 15%>10%[/p]
  • [p]Crow's Boots – Critical Chance 20%>15%[/p]
  • [p]Duel Knight Trousers – Increases Melee Critical Chance by 50% when your Stamina is below 50%>Increases Melee Critical Chance by 30% when your Stamina is below 50%[/p]
  • [p]Duel Knight Cape – Critical Chance 10%>5%[/p]
  • [p]Volker Berserker‘s Totem – Critical Chance 20%>15%[/p]
  • [p]Winged Cavalier Backplate – Critical Chance 25%>15%[/p]
  • [p]Farsight Hood – Ranged Critical Chance 20%>10%[/p]
  • [p]Marksman‘s Treasure – Ranged Critical Chance 25%> 10%[/p]
  • [p]Duelist's Blade – Melee Critical Chance 25%>15%[/p]
  • [p]Parade Blade – Blocking and Parrying increases Critical Hit chance by 25% for 4s>20%[/p]
  • [p]Farsight Hood – Critical Damage gain 5%>1%[/p]
  • [p]Winter's Crone’s Wrath, Merlin's Thorn, Vinelash - Reduced Crit Chance[/p]
  • [p]Added an optional soft cap system enabled by default. You can revert to the old behaviour in the game's settings[/p]

[p][/p][p]Mana shield changes[/p]

• [p]Mana regeneration now has a delay after taking a hit with Mana Shield active.[/p]
• [p]Mana Shield keyword now reduces mana regeneration in a 1:1 ratio.[/p]

[p][/p][p]World[/p]

• [p]Forlorn Swords[/p]
  • [p]A new cave has been added near the Forlorn Swords Gate (Etherbloom Love) [/p]
  • [p]New enemy - Sleepwalker, was added near: Giants Crossroad, Ulfr Village and Volker Village[/p]
  • [p]New enemy - Cairnguard, was added near: Sveinn Village, Capitol City and Mountain Stronghold[/p]
  • [p]Improved overall level art[/p]
  • [p]New items to find in Forlorn Swords[/p]
  • [p]Changed the layout of the bandit camp in the mountains near the Forlorn Swords Gate[/p]
  • [p]Added a small altar + loot near the Forlorn Swords border[/p]
  • [p]Changed the enemies in Forlorn Swords Stronghold[/p]
• [p]Added Wyrd Repelling Lanterns to several areas in the Horns of the South.[/p]
• [p]Marrowghasts now drop Marrowghast Shells. Curlghasts still drop the previously mentioned item (for lore reasons).[/p]
• [p]Wyrdspawns and Wyrdstalkers now have different colors depending on their strength variant (their strength increased with the player but there was no visual change previously)[/p][p] [/p]

[p]Quests (new)[/p]

• [p]New quest: The Empty House.[/p]
• [p]Alisa’s Seacoast Manor is now a customizable home. [/p]
• [p]A new Etherbloom mini-dungeon is now available, containing an interesting weapon.[/p]
• [p]A new note about Kamelot's presence in Forlorn Swords has been added by Sarras' northern gates.[/p]
• [p]A new reward for the “Left Behind quest” has been added. Players who have already completed this quest should receive the new reward in their inventory upon entering the Forlorn Swords map.[/p]
• [p]Added a reward for “The Shattered Pride” quest.[/p]
• [p]A new NPC can now be found in Remors' Cave.[/p]
• [p]Deirdre will now correctly reward the player with a ring in the Unholy Matrimony quest.[/p]
• [p]After completing The Man of the Night quest, Corvyn will now change his behavior after a few days have passed. (Does not work retroactively.)[/p]
• [p]Added additional dialogue for Stranger Cindrill at the Chapter House.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Quests (fixes)[/p]

• [p]Luth should now have voice over before the fight.[/p]
• [p]Sìne now requires 10 Wolf Pelts, in accordance with the notice on the board in Cuanacht.[/p]
• [p]Fixed interaction with the Talbott family in Cuanacht. A new chest has been placed, and Eadbert will now correctly give the player the key. (Does not work retroactively.)[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where the My Fair Lady quest would not fail after Alisa moved away.[/p]
• [p]Improved objective descriptions in the Broken Hourglass quest.[/p]
• [p]Fixed looping dialogue with Qurban.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a dialogue blocker with Taranis while completing the Over My Dead Bodies quest.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue in the Happily Ever After quest where Thistle and Rhian remained available after finishing their respective storylines.[/p]
• [p]Improved objective progression in the Over My Dead Bodies quest.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where killing Charles the Crogmaw would alert Kamelotian guards to the player’s location.[/p]
• [p]Fixed incorrect logic in the Claw Me, Claw Thee quest.[/p]
• [p]Fixed incorrect logic paths involving Morana in the Crow Left of a Murder quest.[/p]
• [p]Removed incorrect loot from killing Ludger.[/p]
• [p]Improved quest marker logic in "The Baneful Choir" quest.[/p]
• [p]Improved quest marker logic in "The Long Defeat" quest.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where Sigvord could aggro nearby enemies, resulting in a quest soft-lock.[/p]
• [p]Fixed inconsistencies between location names and their labels on the map.[/p]
• [p]Hra'fn's quests have received minor improvements aimed at enhancing the overall UI/UX.[/p]
• [p]A specific variant of the Lightning Golem will now properly display its name.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a dialogue option in The Price of Healing Quest where Bonxie would not accept a repeat offer to purchase her inventory.[/p]
• [p]Improved dialogue flow with Barlaam about Yorath.[/p]
• [p]Improved dialogue flow with Silvius.[/p]
• [p]Some dialogue and logic fixes around the Hollow Blessings quest.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where in the dialogue with Eogan, you could select dialogue options regardless of where you found the pumpkin seeds.[/p]
• [p]Nautilume will now try again to convince the player to kill the Swarm of Viridian Wailcaps if the player decides to spare their lives.[/p]
• [p]The Song, as long as she is alive, can be found in Morgens' Den after completing Sunken Treasures and Voice From The Rift quests.[/p]
• [p]The Farewell, Lady Alisa quest will now correctly fail if Alisa leaves.[/p]
• [p]"Omen in Flesh" quest should now progress properly if Eyvor is killed without talking to him.[/p]
• [p]Stranger in the Chapter House Cindrill should now be impossible to kill until the end of her quest.[/p]
• [p]Fixed issues with Maggots’ interactions during the sequence inside his mind.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug in the endings where the player could give away Arthur’s soul multiple times, causing several endings to appear simultaneously.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Audio[/p]

• [p]Player footstep sounds reworked.[/p]
• [p]Player armor / foley movement sounds added.[/p]
• [p]Ghost sounds added in the Gunnvaldr Stronghold.[/p]
• [p]Fixed duplicated Luth VO (line playing twice).[/p]
• [p]NPC Fae grunts fixed.[/p]
• [p]Strawfather sounds fixed.[/p][p][/p]

[p]UI[/p]

• [p]Added a DLC carousel to the Title Screen, allowing multiple available DLCs to rotate automatically.[/p]
• [p]Added the ability to mark items as Favorites, preventing them from being accidentally sold or dropped.[/p]
• [p]Added a horizontal scrollbar to the Upgrades UI to better indicate additional available options (e.g., Transmogrification).[/p]
• [p]Optimized the appearance and disappearance of the player's HUD.[/p]
• [p]Added distinct map marker visuals for unlocked Sarras Shrines.[/p]
• [p]Hidden redundant skill points for players who have fully unlocked skill trees.
  [/p]

[p]Miscalleanous[/p]

• [p]Added filtering your save files by every character you created.[/p]
• [p]The Baneful Choir quest got a new icon.[/p]
• [p]Added a new entry to the lore journal about the Knights of the Round Table.[/p]
• [p]Yngvi now has a Journal entry, unlocked after completing Sleep That Never Comes.[/p]
• [p]French: Egill received the missing translations for some of his dialogues.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Congrats! You made it to the end of today’s update![/h2][p][/p][p]Hopefully, all of the balance changes, along with Act 3 improvements, will make your adventure in Avalon a much more engaging one! Be sure to let us know what you think – we’d love to hear your thoughts![/p][p]In the meantime, the next free content DLC that we announced for the end of March is still being cooked, so stay tuned. It will be worth the wait ;)[/p][p]And we have more coming after that, too![/p][p][/p][p]Cheers![/p][p]Awaken Realms / Questline[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]