Dustgrave: A Sandbox RPG News

We just uploaded a small hotfix which solves an issue with the combat getting completely stuck when using certain status effects! Unfortunately, when we released version 0.6.01, some WIP code was included in the release, but we now solved the issue!

Thank you for the many reports!

After a couple of months of hard work, we released a new major update for Dustgrave! This update features new content, new mechanics, dozens of fixes, and many quality-of-life improvements, including a lot of changes made based on your precious feedback!



[h2]Major Changes[/h2]

• Added Dynamic Quest Events on the Map. While travelling you will now find dynamic locations popping up, with many of them offering short quests. We will keep working on this feature in the next weeks by adding new variants and events.
  
• While in combat, Action Points spent on movement will give a certain amount of Movement Points that can be used freely, meaning that a character with 15 Movement can first engage an enemy spending 1 AP and crossing 7 tiles, kill the enemy, and then move another 8 tiles at no cost.
  
• All characters now have some free movement at the start of their turn. When starting a new turn, all characters will have 50% of their Movement available for free, without spending Actions Points. We made this change to improve the game's balance and make Melee builds more effective, so that enemies can be engaged without spending APs. Statuses like Slow and Speed are now more impactful, since movement is not longer exclusively tied to APs.
  
• Added Minimaps in Levels and on the World Map. Many people asked for this, to better navigate the world or the many levels, and we've been able to finally implement both features!
  
• Completely reworked the Equipment and Inventory UIs, creating a New unified UI for Inventory and Equipment, making changing equipment and comparing items much easier and faster.
  
• Reworked Knockout and Assassinate mechanics! Now you can sneak around and try to stun or kill NPCs without entering in combat. There is a success probability based on the difference between the party's and the target's level.
  
• It is now possible to travel to the map anywhere in levels, a change many people asked for! This functionality is blocked when there are alerted NPCs, or when the player is committing heinous crimes, but in general it should drastically reduce the time spent walking around.
  
• Removed the Durability mechanic that had become obsolete. Now that we have a better control over loot, balancing, and power scaling, having broken items is no longer necessary to prevent players from acquiring overpowered loot.
  

[h2]Changes and Improvements[/h2]

• High-tier weapons now require a minimum level to be equipped.
  
• Added a new UI piece in combat to show more data when hovering allies and enemies.
  
• Added several new dialogue lines to improve NPCs reactivity to world events.
  
• Exploding Infested enemies now have a much more reasonable amount of Health Points.
  
• Improved NPCs reactions to crimes, theft and murder in particular, to avoid stupid or gamebreaking behaviors. Prisoners will no longer scream at you for looting their captors' bodies, and everyone in settlements will react to criminal activities more consistently.
  
• Changed the Exit Menu button in the UI to occupy less space and fit near the new Minimaps.
  
• Changed the marker used for the party on the map with a new icon.
  
• Improved the looks and clarity of several UIs.
  
• Added an option to auto-skip to another character when the current one has movement left but no Action Points.
  
• Added an option to auto-end the turn when no character in the party can do any action except for moving.
  
• Reworked several UI pieces, tooltips in particular, to be easier to read.
  
• Added a pop-up appearing when the player tries to quicksave, but saving is not possible.
  
• Added an hotkey to quickly dismantle items.
  
• Quick Save and Quick Load hotkeys can now be customized.
  
• Unified the Attributes and Talents Panel.
  
• Improved barks performances to reduce stuttering in larger settlements.
  
• NPCs will now get a temporary modifiers to relationships when you do good or bad things to them, to simulate their change in disposition according to your actions.
  
• After kicking out the player for trespassing, NPCs will now reset their trespassing-related patience, instead of being immediately triggered when seeing a new trespassing incident.
  
• Added a new dialogue option that can be used to ask if the NPC has a rumor to share. It can be used to learn more about major events in the world, many of which could be connected to quests the player can take. This option will be further expanded in the future.
  
• Changed how NPCs get alerted when a combat start, so that distant enemies are no longer alerted.
  
• Added new UI sounds to existing UI pieces or where they were missing.
  
• Greatly smoothed character movement and slightly improved pathfinding.
  
• Added a cool sound for upgrading items.
  

[h2]Bugfixes[/h2]

• Fixed some null references appearing on the World Map that could potentially destabilize the game and lead to strange behaviors.
  
• Push, Pull, and Flanked will no longer be listed as active Status Effects on affected characters.
  
• Fixed an issue with pathfinding in Baitay leading to framerate drops.
  
• Fixed several issues related to fights not starting as they should, especially when fighting with parties met on the World Map.
  
• Fixed an issue with Ranged NPCs that would lead to extremely long delays during their turn.
  
• Fixed some furniture pieces being in the middle of rooms.
  
• Fixed an issue with some Major Quests not spawning due to the lack of proper dynamic locations they needed to initialize.
  
• Fixed an issue with some Quests not closing properly due to data inconsistencies.
  
• The blacksmith in Villa Mari is now a trader, as intended.
  
• Fixed an issue with floating texts in combat showing status effects multiple times.
  
• Fixed a blocking issue which prevented loading the world map properly.
  
• Knocked Out characters will no longer prevent fights from ending.
  
• Roofs will now stay hidden more reliably while exploring.
  
• Prevented several edge cases in which dialogues won't activate, leading to minor or major issues in quests.
  
• Prevented a few edge cases in which rescued prisoners could turn hostile.
  
• After being caught trespassing, the party is now kicked out of the building once again.
  
• Improved AI responsiveness in combat to avoid some scenarios in which it could take a few seconds for some enemies to act.
  
• Allies and Enemies will now more reliably enter in combat when close enough.
  
• Fixed several cases in which crime-related records weren't applied as intended.
  
• Fixed the party's marker on the map not rotating as intended.
  
• Status VFXs now are properly removed when a fight ends.
  
• Crime-related dialogues are now more reliable and contextual, since a bug preventing specific branches to appear was removed.
  
• The Join Faction quest now has proper name and description in the Journal.
  
• Fixed an AI issues that made ranged NPCs take a long time to decide what to do in combat.
  
• Fixed an AI issue that prevented NPCs from properly moving around the settlement after witnessing a crime and alerting other people.
  
• Fixed several typos and grammar issues.
  
• Non-alerted NPCs will no longer have a red indicator under their feet.
  
• Fixed an issue related to flanking that sometimes blocked movement for playable characters.
  
• Fixed several location spawn positions that were spawning levels below the ground on the World Map.
  
• Fixed an issue with Faction relationships not being properly shown in dialogues.
  
• Fixed some containers that would spawn invisible, preventing proper looting. Or donations. But you never even thought about donating stuff to NPCs. Why would you do that? This world gave you nothing for free, and you deserve everything you earned, bought, or stolen.
  
• It is now possible to attack people that are sitting or sleeping.
  
• Fixed some visual issues on tutorials.
  
• Fixed missing icons for destroyed settlements.
  
• Saves are now less likely to be blocked by events.
  
• Shields are no longer categorized as weapons while using inventory filters.
  
• Fixed markers rotation on the minimap having a wrong offset.
  
• The bug reporting tool now has a proper pop-up indicating that files are being processed and sent.
  
• Maps inside locations are now clearer and no longer show buildings' furniture.
  

Thanks for your support!

Dustgrave has just been updated to version 0.5.02! While we keep working on larger content updates, we still managed to fix some issues found by players and release this patch. Thank you very much for all the bug reports!

[h2]Changelog[/h2]

• Added the Difficulty setting in the New Game screen, to let people choose the Difficulty when starting the game.
  
• Rewrote and optimized civilian AI. Traders will stop moving around, guards will behave more sensibly, and reactions to crime have been fixed and improved to be more reliable.
  
• Fixed an issue with charge dashes not working due to targeting issues.
  
• Fixed an issue with Disguises not working on civilians.
  
• NPC's dialogues will trigger more reliably and with less delay.
  
• Fixed the level 5 achievement not working in the Prologue.
  
• Fixed a blocking issue that could trigger when loading levels during the night.
  
• Fixed Alacrity not applying effects after the first turn.
  
• Fixed additional Action Points not showing up in the UI.
  
• The mouse wheel can now be used to zoom or dezoom the camera.
  
• Fixed a bugged Rescue quest not showing the option to complete it.
  
• Allied factions will no longer send killers after the player.
  
• Fixed an issue with counterattacks or opportunity attacks killing charging enemies that would result in the game getting stuck.
  
• There was another bug we fixed, but erased the ticket without writing anything in the changelog, but I think it was something related to NPC parties being idle on the map.
  
• Fixed an issue with entering in combat after dismissing a companion.
  
• Fixed an issue that occasionally stopped containers from opening properly.
  
• It is now possible to delete savegames.
  
• It is now possible to restore controls to default hotkeys.
  
• Fixed an issue with kidnapped people never going back home, leading to a slow yet inexorable depopulation of all cities, while populating random levels of prisoners unable (or unwilling) to free themselves and go back to their lives.
  
• The camera can now move further from the party.
  
• Fixed an issue with a location with a wrong exit on the map.
  
• Fixed a visual issue with items not being spawned in containers, with entire locations looking emptier than they should.
  

Dustgrave has just been updated to version 0.5.01! Thanks to the many people who sent us detailed bug reports, and helped us catch these issues!

We are also preparing a more detailed roadmap of what we're working on and what's planned for the next months, since many people have been asking for it. In the coming weeks, we won't only share the full plan with the community, but also periodically release Dev Diaries to keep you updated.

[h2]Changelog[/h2]

• Fixed a critical issue with combat AI that could lead to the game being completely blocked.
  
• Fixed a critical issue with the spawn algorithm that created overly difficult quests.
  
• Fixed the coercion minigame having messed up data after reloading.
  
• Fixed an issue with the tutorial sound being played even when the tutorial panel is already open.
  
• Fixed the Respec panel to support multiple Talents choices without blocking the process.
  
• Fixed the AI behavior to avoid melee enemies not chasing properly.
  
• Rebalanced all armors to improve some of the least useful ones.
  
• Fixed the Tier 2 Light Armor modifier having wrong affecting Evasion twice.
  
• Now the Respec panel opens as intended after recruiting a companion outside of the tutorial.
  
• Fixed the Steal From Faction dynamic quest having missing data, leading to broken dialogues in certain instances.
  
• Fixed an issue with wrong numbers displayed in the battle log. Also fixed the missing string.
  
• Added a subtle red outline to items' icons when taking them from containers would result in a crime.
  
• Fixed an issue with multiple notifications showing up with conflicting values when doing quests for criminal factions.
  
• Fixed an issue with the player's party disappearing from the map.
  
• Fixed an issue with some quests not spawning NPCs and being broken.
  
• Fixed some furniture being misplaced in Wujinquan
  
• Added a confirmation pop-up when clicking on the button to return to the main menu.
  
• Dead people will no longer print a marker on the Minimap.
  
• Fixed an issue with PCs markers on the minimap disappearing.
  
• Fixed an issue that would prevent some settlements from loading for apparently no reason.
  
• Fixed an issue with the player's party randomly getting the name of a settlement on the Minimap.
  
• Added a few more instances in which a Disguise can be used to progress in a quest.
  
• Fixed an issue with Prosperity Notifications not appearing as intended on the Map.
  
• Fixed an issue with companions AI when moving near a level's edges that could cause null references.
  

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2393370/Dustgrave_A_Sandbox_RPG/

It took us a little longer than expected, due to unforeseen technical hurdles, but we finally managed to upload and release Dustgrave's 0.5.0 build!

This new update brings several changes and improvements that many of you have been asking for since the game's Early Access release! We have a massive changelog, so we split it in several sections to make it easier to read.

[h2]Major Changes[/h2]

• It is now possible to Respec Characters. Newly recruited companions will immediately open the respec panel, so that they can be customized after joining the party, but the respec feature is also accessible by going talking to Innkeepers.
  
• Greatly improved the political simulation, and factions will now launch raid and conquer settlements by sending proper parties on missions. There are also caravans moving supplies around and wandering traders now move around using the world's map.
  
• Added a lot of information on the world's map, and it's now possible to see more details about settlements, locations, and parties.
  
• Added a button to wait for some time inside locations. It can be used to wait until the morning so that NPCs will wake up, or to wait until midnight to ambush an enemy camp.
  
• Special locations like Dungeons or Ruins are now invisible on the map, and will require you to get closer to discover them, making them permanently visible on the world's minimap.
  
• Added four new dynamic quests. They will be available on their own or as part of Major Quests.
  

[h2]New Features & Additions[/h2]

• It is now possible to see on the map if there are available quests in a settlement. No more loading for nothing!
  
• Added several new notifications to better inform you about what's changing in the world and what consequences your actions have.
  
• Added a lot of barks to NPCs, and changed the conditions of the ones we already had to make them appear more often. Now NPCs have many more things to complain about!
  
• Added markers for traders, which can be turned off in the settings menu.
  
• All containers can now be highlighted, the default key to do that is Alt.
  
• Wandering traders now have merchandise to sell.
  
• Improved the UI used in the world map to show details about NPC parties.
  
• Added some delay in combat when enemies start their turn, to make everything a little more clear.
  
• Added shop signs to all non-faction traders.
  
• Factions Traders are now accessible at 15 Relationships, and the Progress Meter related to relations has been updated to reflect that.
  
• Added a new Infested enemy, the Fleshmass, a tanky enemy dealing AoE damages.
  

[h2]Balance & Gameplay Changes[/h2]

• Rebalanced bows to be less damaging.
  
• Push and Pull statuses now trigger opportunity attacks as they were intended to do.
  
• Saving is now blocked when the player is being chased.
  
• Spellcasting Focuses will now be much more common to find in traders' inventories.
  
• Close range enemies are a little smarter, the Bloater in particular will stop exploding too far away to hit more than a single target.
  

[h2]Performance & Quality of Life Improvements[/h2]

• Improved loading times when entering or exiting locations.
  
• The "Buying Prices" modifier is now blue when negative, since lower buying prices are actually a good thing for your pockets.
  
• It is no longer possible to use special characters in savegames, to prevent potential issues like saves not being created properly.
  
• Changed Metals and Precious Metals materials icons to be more distinct compared to materials used to upgrade weapons.
  
• Removed shadows from particles to prevent crashes on some systems.
  
• Slightly changed the real-time UI to improve clarity and have it ready for future improvements.
  
• It is now easier to revert recently assigned Skill Points.
  
• Quest notifications now appear on the World Map.
  

[h2]Bug Fixes & Minor Adjustments[/h2]

• Fixed an issue with dashes blocking the game after equipping a new armor.
  
• Fixed an issue with trackers on the world map appearing over UIs.
  
• Fixed a few dialogue-related issues.
  
• Fixed some graphical issues in different levels.
  
• Fixed an issue with records not showing properly in the Faction UI.
  
• Fixed some cities that would have strange materials when destroyed.
  
• Fixed an issue with a few unique items spawning in traders' inventories.
  
• Fixed some visual issues related to animations in combat.
  
• Fixed a major issue with several quests related to finding or retrieving items. That lead to broken data and unfinishable quests.
  
• Fixed the dialogue with the ambushing faction NPCs that could end unexpectedly.
  
• Fixed several armors that couldn't be dismantled.
  
• Fixed a few quests having wrong markers in certain situations.
  
• Fixed an issue with missing enemies at the end of a Protect Settlement major quest.
  
• Fixed a framerate drop in fights when a different character is selected.
  
• Fixed the walking animation in combat not triggering properly sometimes.
  
• Fixed some missing variables in dialogues that prevented a few diplomatic quest resolution paths to be available.
  
• Added a special UI effect to make Tutorial Panels more noticeable.
  
• Added a special UI effect to make the Join Faction notification a little nicer to see.
  
• Fixed an issue with the Major Quest: Rebuild and Expand not completing in certain cases.
  
• Fixed an issue with rewards not being given to the player in certain rare cases.
  
• Fixed an issue with pending events not being saved properly.
  
• Fixed an issue with visitors and wanderers being assigned to the local settlement, leading to wrong AI behaviors and non-consistent reputation gain.
  
• Fixed some doors in Wujinquan that would not open when walking through them.
  
• Talents buttons are now easier to see and interact with.
  
• Improved the Level Up visual effect.
  
• Fixed an issue caused by passive skills which could lead to unstable behaviors
  
• Fixed an issue with damages being multiplied by 75 instead of 1.75, turning characters into killing machines with godly powers.
  
• Fixed an house in Baitay with too much furniture that prevented moving inside it.
  
• Fixed a few roofs not disappearing properly when walking inside their building.
  
• Fixed an issue with items getting cloned while being dismantled.
  
• Fixed some minor animation issues with characters wielding a spear.
  

[h2]Know Issues[/h2]

• In some tests we experienced bad performances in some settlements, like Baitay. We are investigating the issue and trying to fix it.
  
• When fighting parties on the map, sometimes the fight doesn't immediately start. We had to remove the fix we made for this, because it caused issues, but the situation will be addressed soon.
  

Thank you so much for your support and your patience, many of these fixes are the direct result of players sending us bug reports! We hope you'll have fun!


https://store.steampowered.com/app/2393370/Dustgrave_A_Sandbox_RPG/