Swordai News

[h2]Huge thanks to everyone who came out to play.
[/h2]



Just under 1000 new players tried the game, over 11,000 NPC's were killed, 3200 chests were looted, players dealt just under 5 million total damage and 36 people killed the Puppeteer (if you were one of those people, check your Steam inventory on Friday and there should be a reward item in there).

Big thanks to everyone who showed up to the tournament, was a lot of fun. "serguillotin" and "Wholesome" won with "EnderKlas" and "PowerChopper" coming in second.


I got a ton of really valuable feedback that will help the game a lot, ranging from simple but critical points of confusion (eg. people not realizing they can enter the tower by using the red portal and instead waiting in the entrance) to more high-level concerns about the extraction mechanics or the balance of various skills and full builds.
I'm already working on a patch to address some parts of that, other parts will take more time.


Going forward, I want to do more frequent playtests / events to gather feedback and improve the game faster.
I hope to do at least one small group event in October and a weekend playtest in November.
I'll be updating the ⁠short-term roadmap towards the end of the week.


Finally, if you haven't already, please take a moment to fill out the survey here.
The responses so far have been super helpful and it would be great to hear from more people.



See you all next time.


https://store.steampowered.com/app/2321890/Swordai/?beta=0

[h2]Hey everyone!
[/h2]
Thanks to your feedback, I’ve pushed out Patch 0.6.11 to address some of the biggest pain points you’ve brought up. This is a small, midweek patch that I’ve focused on the areas I could tackle quickly, with a few key updates to combat and early-game balance. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s changed:



[h2]What's New in Patch 0.6.11:
[/h2]
[h3]Combat Tweaks:
[/h3]

• NPC Block Rework: I’ve reworked the way NPCs block to make it more consistent when you feint. This should make PvE feel smoother and more predictable.
  
• Late-Game NPC Dodging Fix: There was a bug causing some late-game NPCs to not dodge properly. Now that this is fixed, expect them to be a little tougher!
  

[h3]Difficulty Adjustments:
[/h3]

• Early NPC Nerfs: Some early-game NPCs were a bit too strong for their stage, so I’ve toned them down to make the early tower progression less punishing.
  
• Trial of Initiation Adjustments: I’ve made the lower grades in the Trial of Initiation slightly easier, so newer players can still get through without too much frustration, but the higher grades will still be a challenge!
  

[h3]Bug Fixes & Miscellaneous:
[/h3]

• Cleaned up some minor bugs with NPC interactions and blocking mechanics.
  
• Improved feints to work more smoothly when NPCs block.
  

[h3]Announcing the 2v2 Tournament!
[/h3]
I’m also excited to announce the first-ever 2v2 Tournament, happening this Saturday, October 5th at 4PM US Eastern Time! You don’t need a partner in advance—just show up solo or with a friend in the NA Freeform Map. Winners will get a free copy of the game when it launches!


Sign-Up Info: I’ll post more details soon about signing up, but feel free to just show up on the day if you want to jump in. You can also check Discord if you’re looking to find a teammate ahead of time!

[h3]Special Playtest Reward: Puppeteer Slayer Trophy
[/h3]
For those of you who manage to take down the Puppeteer during this playtest, you’ll get a special item added to your inventory afterward. It won’t have any in-game effects just yet, but it’ll sit in your backpack and look awesome as a reminder of your victory!



I really appreciate all the support and feedback you’ve been giving. The servers are live, so feel free to dive back into the tower and test your skills! If you come across any bugs, please report them in the bug-report channel on Discord.

Thanks again for everything, and I’ll see you in the tower!

– Alex

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2321890/Swordai/

[h2]Hey everyone!
[/h2]
Thanks to your feedback, I’ve pushed out Patch 0.6.11 to address some of the biggest pain points you’ve brought up. This is a small, midweek patch that I’ve focused on the areas I could tackle quickly, with a few key updates to combat and early-game balance. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s changed:



[h2]What's New in Patch 0.6.11:
[/h2]
[h3]Combat Tweaks:
[/h3]

• NPC Block Rework: I’ve reworked the way NPCs block to make it more consistent when you feint. This should make PvE feel smoother and more predictable.
  
• Late-Game NPC Dodging Fix: There was a bug causing some late-game NPCs to not dodge properly. Now that this is fixed, expect them to be a little tougher!
  

[h3]Difficulty Adjustments:
[/h3]

• Early NPC Nerfs: Some early-game NPCs were a bit too strong for their stage, so I’ve toned them down to make the early tower progression less punishing.
  
• Trial of Initiation Adjustments: I’ve made the lower grades in the Trial of Initiation slightly easier, so newer players can still get through without too much frustration, but the higher grades will still be a challenge!
  

[h3]Bug Fixes & Miscellaneous:
[/h3]

• Cleaned up some minor bugs with NPC interactions and blocking mechanics.
  
• Improved feints to work more smoothly when NPCs block.
  

[h3]Announcing the 2v2 Tournament!
[/h3]
I’m also excited to announce the first-ever 2v2 Tournament, happening this Saturday, October 5th at 9:00 PM (NA)! You don’t need a partner in advance—just show up solo or with a friend in the NA Freeform Map. Winners will get a free copy of the game when it launches!


Sign-Up Info: I’ll post more details soon about signing up, but feel free to just show up on the day if you want to jump in. You can also check Discord if you’re looking to find a teammate ahead of time!

[h3]Special Playtest Reward: Puppeteer Slayer Trophy
[/h3]
For those of you who manage to take down the Puppeteer during this playtest, you’ll get a special item added to your inventory afterward. It won’t have any in-game effects just yet, but it’ll sit in your backpack and look awesome as a reminder of your victory!



I really appreciate all the support and feedback you’ve been giving. The servers are live, so feel free to dive back into the tower and test your skills! If you come across any bugs, please report them in the bug-report channel on Discord.

Thanks again for everything, and I’ll see you in the tower!

– Alex

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2321890/Swordai/

The servers are now open, and all players are invited to dive into the tower and test their dueling skills! I'm excited to see you explore the updated tower areas, new fights, and improved mechanics.
If you encounter any bugs or issues during your adventure, please report them in the bug-report channel on the Discord.

Your feedback is invaluable in making the game the best it can be!

Thanks so much to the 3000+ players who signed up!




[h2]Gameplay Features & Mechanics[/h2]
[h3]General Updates:[/h3]

• Adjusted Othari NPC attack aiming after a kick to prevent stabbing over players' heads.
  
• Cripple status effect now blocks jumping.
  

[h3]Loot & Crafting:[/h3]

• Loot crystal mechanics improved: Crystals now allow completion of loot interactions if decaying unless decayed multiple times (prevents abuse).
  
• Fixed a bug where loot crystals would flicker during looting.
  
• Added a lesser crystal infuser in the T1 dungeon area.
  

[h2]UI & Visuals[/h2]
[h3]UI Improvements:[/h3]

• Tower menu improvements: Fixed resizing bug during server list reload and made it more visually appealing.
  
• Fixed the cultivation UI to correctly lock items you cannot afford, avoiding confusing server rejection.
  
• Made the chat appearance cleaner, and improved the combat log with more human-readable terms (e.g., "Right Hand" instead of "hand_r").
  

[h3]Visual Fixes:[/h3]

• Added baseboards and minor details across various tower areas.
  
• Improved decoration in the Initiation Trial and the T1 tower crafting room.
  
• Fixed a floating banner and misaligned torch in Memories.
  
• Fixed misaligned walls in the Initiation area, upgraded textures.
  
• Fixed a bug in the Flame Acolyte loot table, ensuring all ingredients drop.
  
• Brightened a few dark areas for better visibility.
  
• Updated visuals for the tower entrance, adding new trainers and challenges.
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]
[h3]Major Fixes:[/h3]

• Fixed a rare Puppeteer boss bug where she would get stuck if the aggroed player stood in a certain spot.
  
• Fixed Guard Captain achievement not being granted properly after a kill; players will now receive it the next time they enter the tower.
  
• Fixed AI issues with lost souls to give them a stronger identity; they now use Mist Step as a dodge (planned future improvements for more creative use).
  
• Fixed a bug where essence rewards were not displayed correctly when performing katas on the server.
  
• Addressed alt-F4 loot crystal bug to ensure all items drop properly.

[h3]Navigation & Collision Fixes:[/h3]

• Fixed stair collision bugs in the left path of the new dungeon area.
  
• Fixed a nav mesh issue in the big hexagon room of the T1 dungeon.
  
• Fixed a bug where a respawning barrier statue could cause collision issues if players stood in its spawn point.
  
• Adjusted colliders separating rear and left paths in the new dungeon.
  
• Blocked players from walking too deep into mist portals without a soul key in the tutorial area.
  
• Fixed an issue with the block instructor NPC in your home not rotating to face the player properly.

[h3] Server & Networking Fixes:[/h3]

• Improved server performance by fixing issues with kata orbs and lights.
  
• Fixed a bug with server transfers during red portal use and enhanced error handling for failed transfers.
  
• Fixed packet routing to improve ping for cross-region gameplay (e.g., NA to EU, SA to NA).
  
• Switched the main NA server from East to Central for better scalability and performance during the playtest.
  

[h2]Optimizations & Performance[/h2]
[h3]Performance Enhancements:[/h3]

• Fixed FPS drops by addressing issues with particle system culling
  
• Adjusted the kata orb jumping puzzle in the T1 crafting room to reduce performance issues.
  
• Mist portal optimization: Added additional lights in dark areas and tweaked visuals for smoother gameplay.
  

[h2]Planned Improvements & Miscellaneous[/h2]
[h3]Decoration & Polish:[/h3]

• Memories boss fight redesigned from a chaotic NPC vs. summon fight into a more balanced duel for all skill levels.
  
• Continuous decoration efforts for the T1 tower crafting area and general detail improvements.
  
• The 2nd stage of the Initiation Trial is slightly easier to achieve a C rank, with no change to higher grades.
  

[h3]Miscellaneous Fixes:[/h3]

• Fixed a bug where crafting resource counts wouldn’t visually update when depleted.
  
• Improved error handling for portal failure cases, returning to a white portal if unrecoverable.
  
• Added icons to the Steam inventory backend for better visual clarity when viewing backpack items.
  
• Fixed a bug where escaping from the crafting menu wouldn’t close it correctly under certain conditions.
  

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2321890/Swordai/

Greetings Swordsmen!

In preparation for the third playtest going live on the 30th of September, Patch 0.6.0 has been deployed to the playtest build, here are all the changes alongside the trailer:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Gameplay Features & Mechanics[/h2]
[h3]Loot & NPC Updates:[/h3]

• Added loot tables for All NPCs and Chests in the Tower.
  
• NPCs have a chance to drop loot crystals.
  
• Looting players' unbanked items when harvesting their soul crystals after killing them in the tower.
  
• Chest loot quality scales up over time if not looted.
  
• Time loss on death in the tower now scales based on progress depth.
  

[h3]New Tower Area:[/h3]

• A major new section was added to the tower, larger than existing areas, and interconnected with other parts.
  
• Several new NPC types were introduced, including a new Mini-Boss.
  
• New spike traps added.
  
• All new NPCs give reasonable tower time when killed.
  

[h3]Crafting System:[/h3]

• Added crafting stations in the tower for infusing crystals with essence.
  
• Added a shard merging station to turn lesser shards into minor shards.
  
• Void storage crafting station introduced, allowing access to banked items.
  
• Added a new crafting area in the T2 dungeon for working with 2nd-tier materials.
  
• User Interface & Visuals
  

[h3]UI Updates:[/h3]

• Updated tower climb server select screen with a brief explanation of tower mechanics (UI aesthetics to be improved).
  
• Fixed UI bug with dodge cooldown not displaying properly.
  
• Improved error handling for interactions with Steam inventory (more useful offline information).
  
• Fixed a display issue in the summary popup when runs end with zero essence.
  

[h3]Visual Effects:[/h3]

• Added VFX/SFX for activating secrets.
  
• Upgraded all animations to use the new 5.4 Engine retargeting and foot placement system, and redid the idle animations for improved realism.
  
• Upgraded textures with nanite tessellation.
  
• Added new VFX for chests and coffins, optimized for better performance.
  
• Redesigned chest smoke and coffin VFX.
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]
[h3]General Bug Fixes:[/h3]

• Fixed camera clipping during emotes.
  
• Fixed navmesh bug causing NPCs to get stuck on the staircase outside the puppeteer room.
  
• Fixed bugs with barrier and bind statues not respawning or dimming properly.
  
• Fixed various map issues, such as floating objects and misaligned textures.
  
• Addressed a rare crash that could occur when switching levels.
  

[h3]Server & Networking Fixes:[/h3]

• Fixed server transfer issues with players following friends through red portals but not spawning within the same spawn point.
  
• Improved server performance, including optimizations for kata orbs, lights, and candles.
  
• Fixed a server maintenance notification bug.
  
• Added error handling for potential network errors during dungeon traversal.
  

[h3]Steam API Fixes:[/h3]

• Addressed retry handling for Steam API failures in specific cases.
  
• Resolved issue where Steam inventory service wouldn’t load item quantities correctly for players with over 65,000 items.
  

[h2]Optimizations[/h2]
[h3]Performance Enhancements:[/h3]

• Fixed performance issues with particle system culling, significantly boosting performance.
  
• Optimized dedicated server performance for kata balls and particle systems.
  
• Improved FPS in busy dungeon areas by optimizing lights and candle effects (switched to Niagara effects).
  
• Added tesselation toggle, with tesselation now defaulted to on for new users.
  

[h3]Hotfixes:[/h3]

• Removed heterogeneous smoke volumes on coffins and chests that caused FPS drops, but the rework of chest smoke VFX is pending.
  
• Disabled corpse smoke VFX for improved performance and aesthetics.
  
• Adjusted AI to better punish players who stun themselves with reckless kiai.
  

[h3]Decoration & Polish:[/h3]

• Ongoing work on adding small details, trim, and baseboards to various areas of the tower and dungeons.
  
• Still decorating new tower areas—missing wall decorations and baseboards.
  
• Future work includes polishing crafting stations and finalizing features for upcoming playtests.
  

[h3]Miscellaneous:[/h3]

• Made the jump in the new starting area easier to take.
  
• Fixed a mispositioned collider in the tutorial area.
  

And that concludes our sneak peek of Patch 0.6.0, don't forget you can still sign up for the playtest via the Store page.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2321890/Swordai/