Hi, everyone. Welcome to another week's developer's diary.
Before continue reading this DD, you may want to make sure nobody is watching you because we are up for some covert operations this week.
So, how can we make sure we are not watched?
Here, check out this:
You can now use the hotkey "V" to display the field of view of hostile entities.
The field of view system is the game since the Steam release. However, previously, there was nothing on the UI that can indicate how far a hostile entity can see. As a wise Podcat (the ex-game director of Hearts of Iron 4) once said, a feature that does not display on UI is not a feature at all. Thus, we got this problem fixed. Now, you shall be able to clearly see which area can be dangerous for you to be spotted by enemies. That shall allow informed decisions to be made.
Now, what can we do about that?
I added more tools and agencies for you to maneuver around different situations.
Here is an example:
It's certainly quite hard to sneak past all enemies even when we know their field of view. But, even if you are detected, you do not need to panic. Because we now have smoke grenades that allow you to play the game like a ninja.
The smoke grenades have two functions. First, it releases a smoke screen on your position and makes all enemies that are currently chasing you confused. Second, if you have not been detected yet, it's safe to stand inside the smoke. Hostile entities can hardly detect you. However, please be aware that the smoke may dispense after a while. Otherwise, it will be quite weird if you can stand inside it undetected in an enemy base for days. Thus, it's just a temporary solution. What makes it much more useful is to combine it with other tools at your disposal.
One such tool that I added this week is a new skill "Takedown by Surprise."
It's basically an assassination skill that allows you to take out certain hostile entities or just wild animals without the need to even go to battle. As it's shown in the example, all you need to do is sneak behind an unaware enemy and use this skill to take them out. The difficulty here is to approach them from behind without their awareness of you. Thus, making your target confused first can be very helpful. Meanwhile, binding this skill to one of the hotkeys can make the process even smoother. If a takedown is successfully performed, the character that uses this skill can gain Exp equal to about half the amount of the Exp that can be gained when defeating the same target in an open battle. With this skill added, you can possibly complete the repeatable mission "Keep the Light On" without even getting into a battle once.
Now, combining everything mentioned above with existing tools such as one-time alarm systems, booby traps, and different functional furniture, maybe you can find ways to play your enemies like fiddles.
Although the stealth gameplay is the main focus of this week's update, we also have some other content updates:
1, Patients in Liu's Hospital
Random patients can now appear in the hospital of Liu. It will take them a long time to recover under conventional treatment. But, as we are living in a world with magic and paranormal powers, you can certainly heal them with a spell. They will thank you. You can accept or reject their material rewards. It's a good deed. However, that will raise public awareness of the supernatural world. If Alicia is in the group, she will not be pleased. The question here is, is it worth it? An even bigger question is, do you think it's better to tear down the veil or try to maintain the secrecy? Anyway, the choice is yours in this encounter and in the long run.
2, Pistol Poison Mag
It's a new weapon module you can find in the shop inventories of some shady dealers. As this week, we are on the topic of stealth, maybe such a weapon module can fit the theme. You may find certain enemies highly resilient to ballistic damage. However, with this weapon module, you may make them regret that they were not shot dead in the first place as the poison will soon follow.
3, New Cutscene of the Main Story
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Alternative link for people in China: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Bo4y1g7P4
Still, let's not spoil the story.
That's for this week. Happy sneaking around and bonking your enemies. :)
Today's changelog:
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[Takedown by Surprise]The skill can now target non-hostile animals.
[Takedown by Surprise]Added takedown exp data for all skeleton enemies, all mummy enemies, all zombie enemies, zombie dogs, vampiric researchers, Naja Desertus, Siberia Wolves, Black Scorpions, Sand Worms, Spiders, Cats, Dogs, Bunnies, Rats, Bats, Camels, Bears, and Mammoths
[Takedown by Surprise]Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji on the Floor of Language of the Grand Library cannot be targeted by this skill. (They don't have a back.)
[Hotkey]When binding an item or a skill to Hotkey 1~9, you can now cancel it at any stage.
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