Abalon News

Today’s update is a large set of fixes for player reported issues. I’m still working to respond to all of the feedback from our latest major update (Gear Up!) so if you haven’t seen your feedback addressed below, rest-assured, I’ll have another update coming soon.

1. Fixed bug where a corrupted save file caused by a Summoner being removed from play during a battle in Horde Survival mode could result in an endless error loop even after closing and restarting the game. (Thanks PhiatJustitia)
   
2. Fixed bug where a Summoner equipped with Joker potion defeated by a Toxic Spore resulted in that Summoner being removed from play (causing the error above) (Thanks PhiatJustitia) (As a special note, I was able to both fix your bug and correct your corrupted save file so you’ll be able to continue your game next time you login)
   
3. Fixed bug where transforming a Summoner into another unit twice in a row (for example, into a bear and then into a tiger) would result in its Summoner status being lost. This resulted in several problems, like being unable to Use, Recycle or Discard cards or retreat from battle. It also caused your Summoner to run away from combat at the end of the fight. (Thanks Kowalth and Andy Mickey)
   
4. Fixed bug where monitors running with 1365x720 (300% scale) and 1470x920 (200%) scale resolution in full screen would throw an exception. (Thanks stottinator for providing a reproducible edge case that helped me finally fix this bug)
   
5. Fixed bug where the game would appear to infinitely display the loading screen when a new required game version update is available instead of displaying the message directing the player to update their game client. This occurred if the server responded before the client finished loading.
   
6. Fixed bug where equipment cards given by high-roller npc could go to deck and cost mana instead of the satchel (Thanks ink and Fareley)
   
7. Fixed bug where equipment cards given by the fairy could go to deck and cost mana instead of the satchel (Thanks Harr·Megiddon and Kowalth)
   
8. Fixed bug where Orb of Insight was surfacing equipment cards as non-satchel. The orb will no longer surface equipment cards as spell card choices to adhere to the Gear Up rules logic that all equipment is now satchel cards, not deck cards (Thanks Harr·Megiddon)
   
9. Fixed bug where damage from the Mana Stone artifact was getting absorbed by armor.
   
10. Fixed bug where unequipping/re-equipping armor could regenerate damaged armor, allowing players to bypass damage caused by Heatwave. Damage caused from Heatwave now ignores armor as it should thematically. (Thanks Lord Cameron).
    
11. Fixed bug where equippable consumable items (Weighted Die of Theron, Four Leaf Clover, Ghost in a Jar, Joker’s Last Stand, Pylactery Potion) were returning to the satchel after being used. (Thanks Lord Cameron, ink and 妖娆的山药)
    
12. Fixed bug where Trinity Orb would trigger its ability when playing cards from the satchel outside of combat. The orb will now only trigger during battle as intended. (Thanks ink and Fareley)
    
13. Fixed bug where cards added to discard pile via a summoned creature being defeated would trigger the Incinerator’s ability to generate extra mana. The Incinerator will now only trigger mana when cards are discarded from the player’s hand via the discard action. (Thanks ink)
    
14. Fixed bug where a Wizard Hat added to the spell deck could produce a satchel card version of the hat whenever it was unequipped. (Thanks ink and xacegod)
    
15. Fixed bug where Metamorph exhibited strange behavior when equipped with items and morphing into another unit including life not being reflected correctly for equipped buffs (ex: celestial hearth) and creating duplicates of equipped items (Thanks ckdee, Jear and NMP). The Metamorph will no longer transfer equipped items to the unit is morphing into. Instead, items equipped to the Metamorph will be removed while transformed, and then, after being transformed back, the Metamorph will have kept its equipped items.
    
16. Fixed bug where an AI ranged unit equipped with a melee weapon could still fire (in a hilarious fashion) its new melee weapon as if it were a bow and arrow. (Thanks ellaris)
    
17. Fixed bug where Glyph of Nithsrot doesn’t work with ranged attacks. I decided to change this ability and the wording to be such that unit must be melee attacked for the ability to trigger. (Thanks xacegod)
    
18. Fixed bug where weapons with Pierce couldn’t be equipped if the Summoner’s power was below 1 (Thanks mr.kitty)
    
19. Fixed bug where player was stuck in an endless loop after battle due to a mutated and mind controlled snake returning a non-mutated snake owned by the enemy after battle. This was a fun bug to figure out :) (Thanks Lap)
    
20. Fixed bug where player is knocked into water for lethal damage but they have the Joker potion which should revive them, and as a result, their Summoner is removed from the game, resulting in a battle that cannot be ended. (Thanks pellemat696)
    
21. Fixed bug where it was unclear that Rogue’s bonus attack on enemies with 1 life remaining only triggers on ranged attacks. I made it so the rogue's ability now works for melee as well. (Thanks ink)
    
22. Fixed bug where player opened a sarcophagus and immediately right clicked on guardian that jumped out caused a soft lock. (Thanks Fareley)
    
23. Fixed bug where the Warlock Staff wouldn’t target units at range if moving away from enemies who originally surrounded you to shoot them. (Thanks mr.kitty, NMP and xacegod)
    
24. Fixed bug where unequipping items that affect health (like the Samurai Helmet) could make shopkeepers turn hostile on the player. (Thanks mr.kitty)
    
25. Fixed bug where units with lunge were still required to attack boxes and barrels adjacently in explore mode. They’ll now attack surrounding objects diagonally.
    
26. Fixed bug where ranged units equipped with a melee weapon would sometimes use their dagger stab attack animation instead of the animation for the equipped weapon.
    
27. Fixed typo in marauder ambush encounter "verocity" should be "ferocity" in text description (Thanks dragoonO1)
    

[h2]Black Screen/Loading Issue:[/h2]
I am still trying to fix the “Black screen” on load error that’s being reported (mostly by Chinese and Korean players with what I suspect are AMD graphics cards with specific driver versions). I’ve put in several potential fixes, but I have yet to receive player response to let me know if the issue is in fact resolved. If you have encountered this issue in the past or are experiencing it now, please reach out via the in-game report, Discord, or Steam friend request so I can help you.

Also note: A temporary fix that seems to work is kicking the game into windowed mode using Ctrl+F

[h2]Thanks for Your Support![/h2]
Thanks again for reporting these issues and providing me an opportunity to create a better game experience for you.

Remember, Steam reviews are the life-blood of indie devs like myself. If you’re enjoying the game and the service you’re receiving, please hit that thumbs up icon for Abalon in your Steam library and let me know how you’re enjoying the game :)

As promised, another round of bug fixes!

1. Fixed bug with the Snake Staff so it now works correctly as a Farshot ranged attack and also attacks barrels and crates correctly while exploring. (Thanks SpadeDraco, BurntFaceMan and ink)
   
2. Fixed bug the Warlock Staff so it now lunge attacks correctly on diagonal targets (instead of casting a fireball and blowing up its wielder) (Thanks BurntFaceMan)
   
3. Fixed bug Fixed bug where a Bow and Arrow equipped to a farshot unit would lose its +2/+0 bonus after battle until unequipped and re-equipped. (Thanks Fareley and ink)
   
4. Fixed an exploit that would allow infinite healing by equipping and unequipping the Samurai Helmet (or another Max Live giving artifact) while the player also had armor. (Thanks bmcfluff, NMP, LordCameron)
   
5. Fixed bug that could occur when attempting to view unit cards during the AI turn while they were casting spells.
   
6. QoL: Players can now open and view unit cards during the enemy turn and inspect their inventory without their cards being closed whenever the AI casts a spell. Instead, the game will now pause in the background whenever the player is inspecting a card or tile on the board and resume once the player has closed the card they are inspecting.

Keep your feedback coming and I'll get another patch out for you tomorrow :)

~Ross

And take 2... sorry about that everyone! Seems my last patch caused a different bug (thanks for the quick reports, it should be all good now). Here's the update notes again in case you missed it:

Wow, thanks so much everyone for the very positive reaction to our "Gear Up!" update. I'm so glad you're enjoying the new equipment feature. Please be sure and write/update your Steam review if this update has addressed your feedback :)

Also, I wanted to let you know I'm working as fast as I can to fix the recent bugs you've discovered, so here's a quick patch that takes care of a few of those issues so far:

1. Fixed bug where item icons were not fitting within the icon slot and equip/unequip buttons were appearing too large or small depending on your display scaling.
   
2. Fixed bug where players on specific combinations of AMD graphics cards and driver versions saw only a black screen when opening the game in full screen. (If this issue affected you, please respond in the comments to let me know if this fix worked for you as I can't verify against every driver and I want to make sure you are taken care of).
   
3. Fixed bug where right-clicking to view a character card equipped with max items would throw an exception. What's actually happening here is that these characters were able to equip more than the max number of 8 items via the Fallen Angel encounter (or other events). I'm still working to fix that, but in the meantime, you'll be able to view your character cards without the error now.
   

Expect more fixes and improvements to come soon!

~Ross

Wow, thanks so much everyone for the very positive reaction to our "Gear Up!" update. I'm so glad you're enjoying the new equipment feature. Please be sure and write/update your Steam review if this update has addressed your feedback :)

Also, I wanted to let you know I'm working as fast as I can to fix the recent bugs you've discovered, so here's a quick patch that takes care of a few of those issues so far:

1. Fixed bug where item icons were not fitting within the icon slot and equip/unequip buttons were appearing too large or small depending on your display scaling.
   
2. Fixed bug where players on specific combinations of AMD graphics cards and driver versions saw only a black screen when opening the game in full screen. (If this issue affected you, please respond in the comments to let me know if this fix worked for you as I can't verify against every driver and I want to make sure you are taken care of).
   
3. Fixed bug where right-clicking to view a character card equipped with max items would throw an exception. What's actually happening here is that these characters were able to equip more than the max number of 8 items via the Fallen Angel encounter (or other events). I'm still working to fix that, but in the meantime, you'll be able to view your character cards without the error now.
   

Expect more fixes and improvements to come soon!

~Ross

We've just rolled a year past our 1.0 launch on May 11th and nearly two years since our early access debuted in June 2022, and WOW, I'm so grateful for the positive reception, your critical feedback, and the many hours you've enjoyed playing Abalon. Thank you all so much for being a part of our D20Studios community!

Today, I’m thrilled to announce the release of our 10th major update for Abalon! Per your many requests and feedback, I'm bringing you an enhanced equipment system that will allow you to fully upgrade the look, stats, and abilities of your team of adventurers.

[h2]Out with the old, in with the UPGRADES![/h2]
Let's be real, our old equipment system was a bit confusing. Sometimes it dropped as cards to place in your decks, and other times, it was a one-time use satchel card. And many a-wise player avoided the risks of giving their hard-earned artifacts to guardians (who took their treasures with them to the grave when they died).

In this update, I scrapped all that nonsense: All equipment drops are now satchel cards. And all equipment and artifacts are kept safe in your satchel whether you die, choose to swap with another equipment, or kick a party member off your team: your gear stays with you for the entire run! This is true even if you're playing perma-death mode or choose to equip your gear on a loyal or summon.

Here you can see an example of the Fighter Mage decked out with some gear including custom helmet, a mighty pitch fork and even a phylactery potion to ensure he doesn't meet an untimely demise.


Consequently, this also cleans up the status panel for the unit card itself (especially if you have multiple artifacts equipped) since it no longer has to show the status/keywords for equipped items.

Seeing the item graphics vs. pure text also adds a nice touch, and you can quickly access the full cards via mouse, keyboard or gamepad.

There are a couple rules in place to balance this:

1. Each character can equip a maximum of 8 items (so you'll have to make decisions about the best combinations and characters to carry each item)
   
2. If an item is unequipped during battle (either by choice, defeat, or an enemy effect) it cannot be re-equipped til end of battle (This is intended to prevent what would be a very tedious min/max strategy to equip an item, attack with ally, re-equip to another ally, attack to regain benefit, etc.)
   

Not only does all existing equipment become extremely relevant for creating your own custom character builds, but I took it a step further and added over 20 new cards to the game for you to experiment builds with. Go ahead and break my game!

[h2]New Shops![/h2]
And just how will you find and collect all that loot? Well, in addition to the new thematic shopkeeper, Vulcan's Forge, there's also the Traveling Salesman that offers a whole new purpose for the campsite.

Once found and rescued, the Traveling Salesman will join you at your campsite on every future run, offering a new set of gear to buy each time you light up the bonfire.


Yes, we improved the gamepad controls! Direct-access to satchel during combat.


Don't forget, all of the controller buttons are fully customizable to ANY game action you like from the game library. While you're there, give the game a thumb's up, too :)

1. Robust Equipment System: Customize each of your characters (skins, stats, and abilities) by equipping up to 8 pieces of gear. When defeated or swapping equipment, your gear automatically returns to your satchel for easy access. Thousands of potential combination to try and break the game with!
   
2. New Campsite Upgrade: Purchase new gear each time you rest at a campsite once you rescue the traveling salesman.
   
3. New Thematic Shop: Vulcan’s Forge (Sells Equipment/Artifacts)
   
4. QoL: Removed the on-grid status icons for four leaf clover, ghost in a jar, guardian angel, joker’s last stand, phylactery potion as these now appear in the icons above the card. Non-triggered surprises can even be unequipped and placed on different characters before they are consumed.
   
5. QoL: Red Soul Gems picked up as satchel cards will now deal damage when used on the boss after it has been injured. (Thanks Kaaz)
   
6. QoL: Traps can no longer be played outside of battle. Additionally, I’ve added the “Satchel” shortcut to the command menu so you can quickly access your traps and other satchel cards. Note: You can also map a custom button to “Satchel” if this isn’t fast enough for you. (Special thanks to VahidSlayerOfAll and flakesl)

7. QoL: Major control improvement for casting satchel cards overall - the camera no longer locks to tactical grid, but remains fluid in exploration mode, allowing you to equip quick successions of gear on different characters and resume movement immediately after.
   
8. QoL: Fixed the issue with gamepads not closing cards when using the back/menu button (previously, this was triggering the main menu to open instead of closing the card) (Thanks Xargle)
   
9. Balance: Changed the minimum chapter the Wild Hunt encounter can spawn on from 1 to 2 (Thanks Dobermann)
   
10. New Artifact: Arcane Heart
    
11. New Artifact: Celestial Heart
    
12. New Card/Artifact: Crystal Sword
    
13. New Satchel Card: Dark Elf Armor
    
14. New Satchel Card: Dreadnought Armor
    
15. New Card/Artifact: Fire Staff
    
16. New Card/Artifact: Fire Sword
    
17. New Card/Artifact: Frozen Dagger
    
18. New Card/Artifact: Giant Spiked Club
    
19. New Card/Artifact: Glaive
    
20. New Card/Artifact: Ice Axe
    
21. New Card/Artifact: Ice Staff
    
22. New Card/Artifact: Morning Star
    
23. New Card/Artifact: Oak’s End
    
24. New Card/Artifact: Rugged Staff
    
25. New Satchel Card: Samurai Helm
    
26. New Card/Artifact: Serrated Spear
    
27. New Card/Artifact: Shuriken
    
28. New Card/Artifact: Snake Staff
    
29. New Artifact: Void Heart
    
30. New Card/Artifact: Warlock Staff
    
31. New Card/Artifact: Wizard Hat
    
32. Balance: Guardian Angel can now be gained as an equippable satchel card from the Fallen Angel encounter and found elsewhere as a satchel reward.
    
33. Balance: Reduced mana cost of Arcana from 2 to 1
    
34. Balance: Arcana is now an Artifact/Satchel in addition to a regular deck card
    
35. Balance: Poison Blade is now an Artifact in addition to a regular deck card
    
36. Balance: Necromancer Staff is now an Artifact in addition to a regular deck card
    
37. Balance: Shaman Staff is now an Artifact in addition to a regular deck card
    
38. Balance: Guardian Heart cost reduced from 750 to 350 (as it still works as healing potion consumable) but the other heart upgrades can be equipped.
    
39. Balance: Adjusted the gold prices of previously existing equipment
    
40. Fixed bug where rescuing hellound puppy didn’t always save the achievement if you exited before another player save data was written
    

[h2]Other New Equipment System Notes:[/h2]

1. For adventure and survival modes, equipment should now always drop as satchel cards instead of deck cards. If you find equipment cards with mana costs as rewards while playing adventure mode, please let me know via Menu -> Share Feedback.
   
2. Some equipment can also be placed in custom decks made for battle mode and fast adventure.
   
3. When you find equipment that can be played as a deck card in battle mode, you’ll automatically unlock the deck card version for battle mode when you find the satchel card version in adventure/survival mode.
   
4. I did my best to balance all of the the near gear, but please keep in mind this is a massive update with trillions of potential permutations. I'm certain you'll find ways to break the game, and I hope you have fun doing so! If something seems off or broken in a not-so-fun way, please let me know and I will respond as fast I can to get it fixed.

1. Upgrading the leaderboard with more categories (ex: top fast adventure player, top traditional player, top hardcore player, highest challenge completions, etc.)
   
2. Improved AI (3.0 Engine)
   
3. Multiplayer with Abalon Arena
4. More player requested QoL (randomized starting hero, saving starter decks, etc.)

Love what we’re doing here? Help support Abalon’s development by writing/updating a Steam review, sharing Abalon with a friend, and wishlisting our upcoming title, Abalon Arena.

Thanks for reading and being a valued player in our community!

~Ross