The Nowhere Throne (Devblog #2)

[h2]Greetings, Gatekeepers![/h2][p]Today I’m excited to dive into the balance and QoL changes we’ve been cooking up.[/p][p]Let’s start with the topic you’ve asked about all year.[/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Balance[/h2]

[p]The entire balance sheet has been rebuilt.[/p]
[p]The 80 % difficulty tier is gone.[/p]
[p]The gaps between 100 %, 150 %, and 200 % are now much sharper—you’ll feel every step.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Enemies[/h3][p]We rewired nearly every system that controls enemy spawns.[/p][p]Early-run behaviour:[/p][p]100% - Only specific enemy types and a limited set of Elites can appear at the start. The mix heats up with each loop.[/p][p]200% - Almost the full Elite roster and enemy pool are available from the very first second.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Sirens[/h3]

[p]Loop 1 is mostly unchanged.[/p]
[p]Deeper runs raise the chance that Sirens spawn in packs of 2-3 (some may be Elite). Higher difficulty brings this forward.[/p]
[p]From Loop 2 onward, Rampants spawn alongside Sirens, scaling with difficulty and run length.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][h3]Events[/h3][p]Two new global events enter the rota:[/p]

[p]Shield Generators – every enemy spawns with a shield that must be broken before you can damage health.[/p]
[p]Immortal Pursuit – each player is hunted by their own Immortal. Immortals die only under specific conditions or with certain artefacts; if they hit you, it’s a one-shot. Ouch.[/p]

[p]These join the existing pool, so up to 3-4 events can now trigger simultaneously in late-game normal runs. Mind-blowing chaos.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Artefacts[/h3][p]Some artefacts were rebuilt from scratch, others tweaked. Individually small, collectively run-shaping.[/p][p]For example:[/p]

[p]Fractal now saves you from death once, then shatters. A spent Fractal can be smelted at the forge for 10 Scrap.[/p]
[p]Enter the Triad of Fractal: assemble it and Fractal gains unlimited uses.[/p]

[p]Result: artefacts matter more, smart planning matters most.[/p][p][/p][h3]Achievements[/h3]

[p]Unlocking an achievement now instantly unlocks the artefacts linked to it.[/p]
[p]To preserve drop-pool control, ban slots jump from 4 → 10.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Quality of Life Highlights[/h2]

[p]Hosts no longer disconnect from their own runs (ancient bug, finally gone).[/p]
[p]Gatekeeper skill descriptions and evolutions rewritten: unified format, key stats up front, readability way up.[/p]
[p]Quiet Bay remade—smaller, flatter, faster.[/p]
- [p]Added Merchant’s Altar: trade Omni-Stones for Prisms when you’re just short of an artefact.[/p]
[p]You can shove small enemies by walking into them (push strength scales with enemy size).[/p]
[p]UI overhauled: cleaner visuals, far better controller navigation.[/p]
[p]Optional crosshair backdrop for bright arenas and dense fights.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Plus a pile of other tweaks we’ll keep secret for launch.[/p][hr][/hr][p]That’s all for today—thanks for the continuous feedback and ideas.[/p][p]Playtest details land in the next few days.[/p][p][/p][p]Until then…[/p][p]See you in the Throne Room. — Gravity Lagoon[/p][p][/p][h2]Socials[/h2][p]Join our Discord[/p][p]Join our Subreddit[/p][p]Follow on X[/p]