Demo Update #9 - Combat Refinement

[p]Hello, Runari!
[/p][p]Steam Next Fest may be over, but there are still tons of content we wanted to add in for the demo. This will reflect the ongoing work we’re doing and what you can expect with the Early Access release on December 4th![/p][p][/p][p]Before we get into the patch notes, we wanted to address two pieces of feedback regarding Cloudheim’s combat that we wanted that was a focus for this update. One, some players found the combat to feel “floaty.” And two, it was hard to perform combos because of how enemies moved in combat. A lot of work was done to impulse behavior specifically to address this.[/p][p][/p][p]In the game, impulse is what we call the damage and related behavior done to enemies through physics. Damage done by impulse is represented as yellow number pops, and there are four possible states:[/p][p][/p]

• [p]Launch, when you knock an enemy into the air (like with a jump pad)[/p]
• [p]Pull, when you yank an enemy toward you or a target location (like with the lasso)[/p]
• [p]Push, when you knock an enemy away from you (like with Homerun)[/p]
• [p]Smash, when you knock an enemy into the ground (like with Ground Pound)[/p]

[p][/p][p]Good combat revolves around maximizing impulse damage, which is why a common tip is that the longer you keep enemies in the air, the more you do![/p][p][/p][p]Now, there are more visual distinctions when you are in the middle of an impulse combo on an enemy. The more you add to the impulse combo, the more damage the enemy will take once they finally land on the ground. Or even better, knocking an impulsed enemy into another will deal tons of damage![/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Furthermore, we’ve also made major changes to how the game handles enemy movement when being impulsed, in an attempt to make it behave more along player expectations. It will also consider factors such as distance, speed, force, and mass. This is done through two approaches: applying slow-mo and adjusting gravity. Here are some example scenarios:[/p][p][/p][h2]Push[/h2][p]Now, the distance an enemy travels when they are kicked, for example, is less, but done faster. Thus, your kicks should feel more immediately impactful. We also made changes to better improve kick targeting (to be your intended target), which was especially egregious in low FPS/high-ping scenarios.[/p][p][/p][p]Using skills like Homerun and Force Wave will push enemies fast, as odds are you’re using them as a finisher or wanting to knock them against other targets.[/p][p][/p][h2]Pull[/h2][p]At ground level, lassoing an enemy from close up will quickly pull them closer to you, as you’re likely wanting to do that to immediately connect into the next attack. Under the hood, this involves adjusting the enemy’s mass and making the gravity higher, resulting in a “thwump” behavior as they’re dragged along. [/p][p]Likewise, pulling an enemy from further away will apply the slow-mo effect as they approach you to give a larger window in setting up combos. It’s also more reliable overall that pulling an enemy will have them pulled toward you, as this wasn’t always the case before. [/p][p]The height at which you lasso things will also play a factor in how enemies are pulled. Ultimately, it should open up more ways to lasso things and connect them into air combos![/p][p][/p][h2]Launch[/h2][p]Launching an enemy using a jump pad will now apply a reduced gravity effect, and the impulse combo begins as soon as the enemy is lifted in the air. Combined with changes made to push states, the game should better handle how enemies fly when off a ledge, smacked by a hammer, and in many other situations.[/p][p][/p][h2]Smash[/h2][p]Odds are, an attack or skill that smashes is used as a satisfying finisher at the end of a combo, as hitting the ground is when all that impulse damage gets applied. Thus, enemies in slow-mo that are hit with a smash will immediately exit it, giving it that extra “oomph” as they land.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]All of these interactions play a part in enhancing the combat experience. Imagine this: you send out a jump pad, lasso a grobb into it, jump up, and then finish with a Ground Pound. Those are three types of impulse states as the game constantly analyzes and adjusts values, and then calculates the appropriate impulse damage to apply at the end.[/p][p][/p][p]We've also made adjustments to jump behavior, which should also address some related feedback we've received in this area. These changes are now live in our latest demo update, along with many other great additions you can read in the full patch notes down below.[/p][p] [/p][p]We can’t wait for players to dive in, and as always, are eager to hear your feedback![/p][p][/p][p]— Noodle Cat Games[/p][p] [/p][p][/p][h2]Combat[/h2]

• [p]Added a new skill, Flameburst (Breaker), which unlocks at Class Level 8[/p]
  • [p]Release a short wave of flame around you, burning enemies. Heals you and nearby allies for every enemy hit.[/p]

• [p]Added a new skill, Mana Lash (Runeblade), which unlocks at Class Level 10[/p]
  • [p]Quickly strike an enemy at range, dealing bonus damage based on your current mana burn levels. Recovers mana for nearby allies if the enemy is defeated. If this skill causes you to overload, it will upgrade to an explosion on the target.[/p]
• [p]Note: These skills are not granted retroactively if you are past the class levels in old saves[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Enemies[/h2]

• [p]Added new VFX and improved impulse-related hit reacts with enemies, such as when hitting the ground or other objects[/p]
• [p]Some Wood minions have been replaced by the new “Seedlings” enemy[/p]
• [p]Water Grobb models have been updated[/p]
• [p]Updated the model and audio for the final boss in Rose Ruins[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Base/Shop[/h2]

• [p]Updated the visuals for the Forge, Key Press, Prospecting Site, and Gardening Plot stations[/p]
• [p]The Key Press now supports queuing[/p]
• [p]Added more decor options[/p]
• [p]Pressing Build while close enough to a movable decor/station will automatically select the object for movement[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][h2]UI/UX[/h2]

• [p]Several more Tips have been added[/p]
• [p]A handful of menus have been reworked, including Equipment, Inventory, Guild, and Build[/p]
• [p]More skill icons have been updated[/p]
• [p]Mana Burn now shows the duration remaining until you regain movement and basic attacks[/p]

[p][/p][h2] Effects/Audio[/h2]

• [p]The water bubbles for the Parched Temple puzzle have been updated[/p]
• [p]Updated the visuals for the skills “Blizzard Beam,” and “Become as Vortex”[/p]
• [p]Updated the model for fishing rods[/p]
• [p]Added more sounds to fishing[/p]
• [p]Added a chime sound when discovering a secret[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Accessibility[/h2]

• [p]Added "Motion Blur" and "Field of View" to Video Settings[/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][h2]Classes[/h2]

• [p]Class Progression unlocks have been updated and expanded[/p]
  • [p]The max level for all classes is now 80[/p]
  • [p]Some levels will grant stats instead of skills[/p]
• [p]Skills can now come in different rarities, with better effects at higher rarities[/p]
  • [p]Note: If playing on an old save, there may be some inconsistencies[/p][p][/p]

[h2][/h2][h2]Exploration[/h2]

• [p]Streamlined the flow of the tutorial levels in terms of layout[/p]
• [p]Removed Baldurian rarity drops for all ores[/p]
• [p]Mineable rocks will only take one hit to break now[/p]
• [p]Checkpoints in dungeons have been made more visible[/p]
• [p]Removed the option to travel to Odin Shell from Sylfstone checkpoints in dungeons[/p]
• [p]Reduced the drop rate of lockboxes[/p]
  • [p]Note: You are still guaranteed at least one in the final chest at the end of dungeons[/p]
• [p]The enemy encounter at Frogopolis will now spawn even if you are not currently on the related questline[/p]
• [p]Adjusted fishing loot tables for more variety and better scaling later in the game[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Quests[/h2]

• [p]Added more location markers to various quest steps in Arcadia[/p]
• [p]Added better context/cues for a certain step during “The Lost Blin” quest[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Controls[/h2]

• [p]Majorly changed jump behavior, including animations. You now jump faster, higher, and have more control.[/p]
  • [p]Added an option in Settings to choose jump behavior (Tap versus Hold)[/p]
• [p]Lasso Balancing[/p]
  • [p]Using a lasso point will now refresh your jump stacks[/p]
  • [p]The starter Lasso will now focus on one target at a time, and favor unarmored targets over armored ones[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Combat[/h2]

• [p]❗Made several changes to how the game handles impulse damage and related calculations[/p]
  • [p]Overall, combat should feel “weightier” — see additional notes below.[/p]
• [p]Changed how the game handles input buffers to improve transitions at the end of combos into new attacks[/p]
• [p]Improved airborne combos and plunge attacks[/p]
  • [p]Plunge attacks now factor in camera direction[/p]
• [p]Movement and basic attacks are now restored earlier when Overloaded (Mana Burn), and this happens before you fully recover to use skills again[/p]
• [p]Made various changes to the VFX and overall feel of weapons, including axe combos and dagger attacks[/p]
  • [p]Some weapons now have new animations[/p]
• [p]The spin attack during the normal axe combo now deals 33% more damage[/p]
• [p]Missing with “Pile Driver” will now refund the mana cost and no longer force a jump[/p]
• [p]Skills with deployables have been updated[/p]
  • [p]The number of deployed objects depends on the rarity of the skill[/p]
• [p]Adjusted explosive barrel behavior[/p]
  • [p]You can now set the fuse with weapon hits, and the time required to explode has been reduced[/p]
• [p]Fire debuff stacks have been changed[/p]
  • [p]Stacks can now build up to 10 (up from 5), apply faster while having a shorter duration, and will now damage nearby enemies[/p]
  • [p]For players, damage occurs when overflow happens beyond 10 stacks[/p]
  • [p]For enemies, damage occurs at every stack, with more stacks equalling more damage per tick[/p]
  [p][/p]

[h2]Enemies[/h2]

• [p]Enemies will now have a "slow-mo" effect applied to them during various impulse combos[/p]
• [p]Bomb Beetles are now deadlier — this applies to friends and foes alike!💣[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Base/Shop[/h2]

• [p]Added a quest step to purchase the Viking Brew upgrade during shop onboarding[/p]
• [p]Some corrupted ore now have a cube shape and new visual effects for better visual distinction[/p]
• [p]Shopper Changes[/p]
  • [p]Shoppers are now pickier! They will only buy their desired item type (the icon above their head), and leave if it is not found. Previously, they would still try to buy other items.[/p]
  • [p]Shoppers may now want to purchase unrefined ore[/p]
  • [p]Shoppers who want refined bars or weapons will appear at later store levels[/p]
  • [p]Increased patience timer for shoppers who want refined bars or weapons[/p]
• [p]Blin Changes[/p]
  • [p]Lockboxes now have a chance to drop Blin Whistles[/p]
  • [p]Blin Whistles automatically summon on toss as long as you have enough room[/p]
  • [p]Slightly increased the default max Blin capacity and scaling of the number of Blin Houses that can be built per Shop Level[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Effects/Audio[/h2]

• [p]Updated the audio for broken pottery (you know who you are).[/p][p][/p]

• [p]Made some improvements to game thread (CPU) performance[/p]
• [p]Catch-all bullet for a myriad of performance and optimization improvements that are too granular to detail goes here[/p]
• [p]Fixed the Frostsworn Edge weapon not having a cooldown for its weapon skill (Homing Ice Shards)[/p]
• [p]Fixed the Blade Phalanx ability not dealing damage[/p]
• [p]Removed some instances of enemies in Arcadia spawning underground and other inaccessible areas[/p]
• [p]Fixed that one set of floating grass in Golden Galleon Shore that people kept reporting[/p]
• [p]Fixed multiple bugs relating to the final boss battle in Rose Ruins[/p]
• [p]Fixed dungeon checkpoints that should address issues with spawning at the start of the instance[/p]
• [p]Fixed an oversight that allowed players to build more than one Gnasher Nest. He is THE ONE.[/p]
• [p]Items in the shop should no longer be halfway in the ground or in a station slot after being tossed[/p]

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