Demo 1.1.0 – Major Gameplay Changes

[p]Hey everyone![/p][p]We’ve just released a massive update to the demo. [/p][p]The Omnicore system has been completely redesigned, combat and characters rebalanced, sound design improved, turrets updated, UI improved, and we’ve even added some fun new interactions (yes, the seagulls are real). And also... some quests and lore![/p][p]Let’s dive into the details:[/p][hr][/hr][h2]🧠 Omnicore – Simplified and More Fun[/h2][p]The Omnicore was previously complex and not as rewarding as we wanted. We've streamlined its role to make it much more enjoyable to use.[/p][h3]What's changed:[/h3]

• [p]The Omnicore can no longer be placed on the ground. It must now be either held by a player or attached to a Guardian (turret).[/p]
• [p]The 100% energy empowered active has been removed.[/p]
• [p]The Omnicore no longer has health. It can't explode or be destroyed anymore.[/p]
• [p]It's no longer usable as a projectile.[/p]
• [p]You now have three core options when using it:[/p]
  • [p]Pass it to your ally[/p]
  • [p]Revive your ally[/p]
  • [p]Send it to a sprout to summon a Guardian[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]🌱 Guardians (old turrets) – Full Tactical Rework[/h2][p]Turrets used to appear randomly in new rooms. That randomness is gone. Now, YOU decide where to place them. And a new NPC will guide you...[/p][h3]How it works now:[/h3]

• [p]Rooms now contain Sprouts on the ground.[/p]
• [p]Use the Omnicore on a Sprout to summon a Guardian.[/p]
• [p]You have a limited number of summons per room.[/p]
• [p]Guardians stay active until the end of the room.[/p]

[p]This little sprout often dreams of becoming a Guardian on day...[/p][p][/p][h3]Guardian System Overhaul:[/h3]

• [p]Choose one random Guardian at the start of the run.[/p]
• [p]Guardians gain experience by attacking enemies.[/p]
• [p]Every level, pick from a pool of random stat upgrades:[/p]
  • [p]Damage[/p]
  • [p]Attack Speed[/p]
  • [p]Range[/p]
  • [p]Critical Chance[/p]
  • [p]XP Multiplier[/p]
• [p]Every 5 levels, choose a Guardian skill.[/p]
• [p]Max level is 15.[/p]
• [p]New interface: Guardian selection - Choose your Guardian for your expedition[/p]
• [p]New interface: Guardian skill selection - Choose a skill for your Guardian[/p]
• [p]New interface: Guardian stat selection - Choose how to improve your Guardian[/p]
• [p]New NPC: Kuro'Lua[/p]

[carousel][/carousel][hr][/hr][h2]⚡ New Energy System[/h2][p]We redesigned the energy system to better link the Umi (player) and the Guardian.[/p]

• [p]Energy builds as players deal damage.[/p]
• [p]Max energy depends on the level and number of players.[/p]
• [p]As energy increases, so do the Guardian’s stats.[/p]
• [p]At 100%, the Guardian automatically becomes Empowered for a short burst of power.[/p]
• [p]Energy drops if you stop attacking for too long.[/p]
• [p]Guardians no longer rely on ammo, making everything smoother to use[/p]

[p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]⚙️ Permanent Guardian Progression[/h2][p]Bye bye old devourer...[/p][p]Each Guardian now has a permanent progression, upgraded using a new resource:[/p][h3]🌸 Petals[/h3]

• [p]Found by breaking terrain.[/p]
• [p]Can be stored by interacting with the Devourer, who now acts as a checkpoint.[/p]

• [p]The Devourer no longer wants to buy your skills... he's had enough.[/p]

• [p]Spend petals in the lobby to improve your Guardians permanently.[/p]

[p][/p][carousel][/carousel][hr][/hr][h2]🧑‍🚀 Character Updates[/h2][p]We’ve also refined character controls and abilities to improve combat feel and clarity.[/p][h3]General:[/h3]

• [p]Added inertia to movement – players no longer stop instantly.[/p]
• [p]Dashing or moving into a wall now causes a bounce effect.[/p]
• [p]All characters can now destroy projectiles with their primary attack.[/p]

[h3]Pearl:[/h3]

• [p]Primary attack applies a burn effect (x4 stacks) over time.[/p]
• [p]Auto-targets enemies within range.[/p]
• [p]Secondary attack refreshes burn duration.[/p]
• [p]Fireball Blast: now cancellable with dash/teleport, better control during animation.[/p]

[h3]Lyra:[/h3]

• [p]Instinct Shot is now guided and locks onto enemies.[/p]

[h3]Olaf:[/h3]

• [p]Secondary attack now destroys projectiles.[/p]

[h3]Rend:[/h3]

• [p]Still as handsome as before.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]🎓 Tutorial & Tooltips[/h2][p]What the hell does this ability do!??[/p][p][/p][p]We want the game to be much more accessible and clear, and we want players to gradually learn things as they play instead of learning everything in one tutorial.[/p]

• [p]Tutorial reduced from 7 rooms to 4, in line with Omnicore changes.[/p]
• [p]Tons of new tooltips added:[/p]
  • [p]On the Codex[/p]
  • [p]On the main HUD[/p]
  • [p]All abilities now clearly show damage values and effects[/p]
  • [p]Tooltips appear when hovering (mouse/keyboard only)[/p]
  • [p]Added mini-tutorial sequences on important events and unlocks[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]✨ Visibility Improvements[/h2]

• [p]We've added outlines on important elements[/p]
• [p]Player characters are now always visible behind foreground elements.[/p]
• [p]Same goes for enemies, NPCs & Items, augments and consumables.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]📖 Lore & Quests[/h2][p]We’re beginning to introduce lore into the world.[/p]

• [p]Added an intro cinematic at game start.[/p]
• [p]15 new quests have been added to flesh out the story.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]🔊 Audio Improvements[/h2][p]You asked, we listened. Literally.[/p]

• [p]We’ve added a volume/language setup screen when you launch the game.[/p]
• [p]Major improvements to sound design, volume balancing, and combat impact.[/p]
• [p]A lot of new sounds and reworked sounds.[/p]
• [p]Everything should now feel much more polished and satisfying.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]🐦 Seagull Interactions[/h2][p]Yes, this is real.[/p][p]You can now pet the seagulls.[/p]

• [p]You can also kill the seagulls (very satisfying).[/p]
• [p]Seagulls will flee if you get too close.[/p]
• [p]Or do both. We won’t judge.[/p]

[p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]🔄 General Improvements[/h2][p]We’ve made some important adjustments under the hood to make each run more rewarding and dynamic.[/p]

• [p]The skill distribution system has been improved to ensure you get more impactful and varied choices during your journey.[/p]
• [p]We also reworked the level generation algorithm, resulting in more coherent, interesting, and better-paced rooms throughout a run.[/p]

[p]Get ready for a smoother flow, juicier decisions, and more satisfying progression overall.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]🛒 Coming Next…[/h2][p]This update was focused on polish and reworks. But next, we’re adding more content to the demo:[/p]

• [p]First boss fight at the end of the Mangrove[/p]
  • [p]The Watchers will move to the end of the second biome (Fog of Souls)[/p]
• [p]The Shopkeeper will be back from the warehouse with new items and synergies[/p]
• [p]New skills for every character[/p]
• [p]New rooms[/p]
• [p]Possibly new Soulbounds – we’ll see![/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]🏆 Leaderboard Reset[/h2]

• [p]The leaderboard has been fully reset to reflect the new version of the demo.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]🐛 Known Issues (Already Being Worked On)[/h2]

• [p]Seagulls sometimes stay in the water forever. They’re stubborn.[/p]
• [p]\[Co-op only] Leaving a room while a seagull is nearby can cause you to lose the ability to attack.[/p]
• [p]The final quest’s cutscene is still in development.[/p]
• [p]"Turrets" might still appear in some UI texts instead of "Guardians".[/p]
• [p]Localization:[/p]
  • [p]Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese are partially translated.[/p]
• [p]Character selection in the Main Menu:[/p]
  • [p]Navigation is reversed between Rend and Pearl.[/p]
• [p]Petals display may not refresh correctly in the top-right after returning to the lobby.[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]Thanks so much for all the feedback so far. This update took a lot of work, and we’re really excited to finally share it. We hope you enjoy it, and we’re looking forward to what comes next.[/p][p][/p][p]🐢❤️ — The Umigame Dev Team[/p][p][/p][p][/p]