Ahra Prime Times — The Outland Gazette #8

[h2]Recent Changes & Updates[/h2][p]A lot has changed since last week’s issue—some updates went live without announcements. Below is a curated summary of what’s new.[/p][h3]🏆 Steam Achievements[/h3][p]Many achievements needed fixing, likely due to engine changes. Most now work correctly. Some hidden ones (like Such a Perfect Week!) may activate after today’s update. New achievements will arrive with the next major update, but no additional ones are planned for the Demo.[/p][h3]☣️ Chronic Diseases[/h3][p]Acute Radiation Syndrome has been in-game for a while. Now, chronic food poisoning joins the roster. It’s up to you: risk eating spoiled food or stick to fresh, safe sources—found mushrooms, hunted meat. Water purifiers help, but even clean water and food degrade over time. Food now spoils primarily in the world (soon also in containers). More diseases are coming. This is just the beginning.[/p][h3]🎚️ Difficulty & Disease[/h3][p]Players seeking challenge will find it. Disease mechanics will scale with difficulty—above Wayfarer (easy), they’ll have real impact. Currently, difficulty is averaged, but the system already accounts for it. Diseases may be disabled entirely for Wayfarer. Focus remains on higher tiers. Guides will expand soon. For now, Discord is the best place for questions.[/p][h3]🏃 Movement Speed[/h3][p]Movement has been tweaked—slightly faster overall, with terrain slope now affecting speed both uphill and downhill. This system will evolve and tie into:[/p]

[p]Difficulty selection[/p]
[p]Character progression[/p]
[p]Future support modules[/p]

[h3]🧪 Demo Update Incoming[/h3][p]The Demo hasn’t seen updates in a while, despite major game changes. A cumulative update is planned this week. I’m considering new Demo limitations—possibly save restrictions. While Early Access will soon expand beyond Nesoi, the Demo will remain there.[/p][h3]🔜 What’s Next[/h3][p]Recent changes lay the groundwork for major gameplay shifts. Coming soon (order not final):[/p]

[p]More threats and enemies (some already added to Nesoi)[/p]
[p]Difficulty selection[/p]
[p]Environmental changes on Nesoi, followed by a new Early Access location[/p]
[p]First quests and tasks—leaving Nesoi will require completing them[/p]

[h3]🛠️ Stability [/h3][p]The new engine resolved most crash issues. Still, HIRAETH pushes next-gen GPU features hard. If you experience crashes:[/p]

[p]Check GPU usage (WindowsKey+Alt+G via Game Bar)[/p]
[p]If near 100%, lower Epic settings, max FPS, or resolution[/p]
[p]Ensure proper cooling—overheating causes crashes[/p]
[p]Optimization doesn’t depend on scene complexity; I explained this last week[/p]
[p]For freeze/crash issues, this registry tweak may help: Epic Games GPU crash guide[/p]

[h3]🎮 Gamepad & Third-Person View[/h3][p]I’ve explored gamepad and third-person support, but feedback and polls show it’s not a priority for most players. These features are paused for now—focus remains on core gameplay.[/p][h3]🌍 Language Support[/h3][p]Localization is important, but delayed due to engine migration. Supported languages were removed from the Steam page (only active ones can be listed), but plans haven’t changed. German and French lead the wishlist, but Steam Workshop will open translation opportunities for many others. The game’s main font will stay—it’s modern, readable, and safe for special characters across all future languages.

[/p][h2]Closing[/h2][p]The next Ahra Prime Times and Hiraeth devlog will arrive next week—let’s see what changes this week brings to the game![/p][p]Stay safe, survivors! Author

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