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Steam Next Fest Playtest Schedule & Update Notes

[p]Hello Survivors![/p][p][/p][p]The Midnight Walkers will be participating in the upcoming Steam October Next Fest![/p][p]Since the July Playtest, we’ve added new content and made a wide range of improvements based on community feedback.[/p][p][/p][p]Check out the full playtest schedule and key update notes below.[/p][p][/p][h2]Steam Next Fest Playtest[/h2][p]Event Dates: October 13 (Mon) 10:00 AM – October 20 (Mon) 10:00 AM (PDT)[/p][p]How to Join: Download The Midnight Walkers Demo on Steam and jump right in![/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Update Notes[/h2][h3][Classes][/h3]
  • [p]The class “Margarita” has been renamed to “Bartender.”[/p]
  • [p]Class stats have been completely reworked.[/p]
    • [p]The previous base attributes (Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Knowledge, Spirit, Constitution) have been removed.[/p]
    • [p]They have been restructured into new categories: Defense, Defense Options, Melee Attack, Ranged Attack, Attack Options, Speed, Buff/Debuff Stats.[/p]
  • [p]All Active and Passive Skills for each class have been reworked.[/p]
    • [p]Taking overall balance into consideration, every class’s Active and Passive Skills have been renewed and fine-tuned.[/p]
    • [p]Some less practical skills have been streamlined, and new skills have been added to expand gameplay variety.[/p]
  • [p]New In-Game Profile HUD effects have been added.[/p]
    • [p]The Character Status HUD has been renewed to dynamically reflect your character’s health level, damage reactions, death expressions, and real-time status effects such as healing, poison, shock, and fire.[/p]
[h3]\[Weapons][/h3]
  • [p]Baseball Bat:
    A new two-handed melee weapon, the Baseball Bat, has been added.
    It can be equipped by BRICK and BARTENDER.[/p]
  • [p]Composite Bow:
    The weapon’s mechanics have been reworked.[/p]
    • [p]Overall motion updated[/p]
    • [p]Attack behavior improved[/p]
    • [p]An aiming time limit has been introduced[/p]
    • [p]Melee attack capability has been removed.[/p]
      • [p]As the delay to firing has been shortened, melee attacks have been removed for overall balance. The bow now focuses exclusively on ranged combat.[/p]
    • [p]For more details, check DevLog#23.[/p]
  • [p]Kukri: Attack motion has been updated.[/p]
  • [p]Shovel: Weapon blocking and parrying have been improved.[/p]
    • [p]Parry detection against Zombie attacks has been enhanced, and a Just Guard mechanic has been added.
      Successfully blocking at the correct timing now triggers a knockback effect on Zombies.[/p]
  • [p]The charge UI for each weapon type has been improved.[/p]
[h3]\[Zombies][/h3]
  • [p]A new zombie type, Bomber has been added.[/p]
    • [p]In this Next Fest version, two variations of the Bomber will appear.[/p]
      • [p]Explosive Bomber: Charges while carrying explosives and self-destructs at close range, dealing explosion damage.[/p]
      • [p]Toxic Bomber: On self-detonation, emits smoke that obscures vision and releases toxic gas.[/p]
  • [p]Zombie Combat Experience[/p]
    • [p]Hit reaction animations have been improved.[/p]
    • [p]Idle motions have been added.[/p]
    • [p]Grab animations have been improved.[/p]
    • [p]Parry detection against zombie attacks has been improved.[/p]
    • [p]Zombie appearances have been updated to match each in-game floor theme.[/p]
[h3]\[Map][/h3]
  • [p]A new map, “Botanical Garden,” has been added to the 7th Floor.[/p]
  • [p]Once a beloved indoor garden admired by many, it has since been left untended after the zombie outbreak, becoming completely overgrown with dense vegetation. As a result, the area has transformed into a complex, maze-like environment that forces survivors to move with caution.[/p]
  • [p]Building structures have been improved to better reflect the unique theme of each floor.[/p]
  • [p]A new World Map (M) feature has also been added.[/p]
[h3]\[New Systems][/h3]
  • [p]Equipment Score System:[/p]
    • [p]An equipment score system has been added.
      All gear items are now assigned individual scores.[/p]
  • [p]Smoking (V) Feature:[/p]
    • [p]A new smoking feature has been introduced.
      Players can smoke up to three times per game.[/p]
    • [p]Each inhale restores 10 HP, and up to five inhales can be made per cigarette for a total of 50 HP recovered.[/p]
    • [p]During smoking, movement is disabled, but the action can be canceled using the interaction key.[/p]
    • [p]Completing a cigarette without interruption removes the reduced recovery efficiency effect caused by consecutive drink consumption.[/p]
[h3]\[Matching][/h3]
  • [p]Rookie / Survival / Hardcore Modes have been introduced.[/p]
    • [p]Rookie Mode:[/p]
      • [p]A mode designed for new and inexperienced survivors taking their first steps into the Liberty Grand Center.[/p]
      • [p]If your equipment score exceeds 250 points, you cannot select Rookie Mode.[/p]
      • [p]Common to Rare grade items can be obtained.[/p]
      • [p]Zombies with relatively low difficulty will appear.[/p]
    • [p]Survival Mode:[/p]
      • [p]A mode for seasoned survivors seeking greater rewards.[/p]
      • [p]This mode can be selected without any equipment score restriction.[/p]
      • [p]Uncommon to Epic grade items can be obtained.[/p]
      • [p]Zombies become stronger, and special types of zombies begin to appear.[/p]
    • [p]Hardcore Mode:[/p]
      • [p]The ultimate difficulty mode for survivors who risk everything in pursuit of greater gains.[/p]
      • [p]Survivors with an equipment score of 450 or higher and character level 20 or above can challenge this mode.[/p]
      • [p]Uncommon to Legendary grade items can be obtained.[/p]
      • [p]All types of zombies will appear.[/p]
  • [p]The maximum number of players in Solo Mode has been increased from 8 to 12, and in Squad Mode from 15 to 18.[/p]
[h3]\[Vendors][/h3]
  • [p]Vendor System Overhaul[/p]
    • [p]The existing nine vendors have been consolidated into five, each specializing in a specific category — Weapons, Armor, Medical Supplies, Materials, and Special Items.[/p]
  • [p]Affinity System Update[/p]
    • [p]You can now increase your affinity with vendors through trades and missions. As your affinity level rises, you’ll unlock new dialogue, rewards, and hidden stories, while each vendor’s appearance and available stock will gradually expand.[/p]
  • [p]Sticker Feature Added[/p]
    • [p]Depending on your affinity with a vendor, you can equip stickers with special effects. These stickers grant various trade benefits, such as higher sell prices or shorter restock times.[/p]
[h3]\[Trade][/h3]
  • [p]Filtering and search functions have been improved.[/p]
[h3]\[Others][/h3]
  • [p]The tutorial video has been updated.[/p]
  • [p]New loading images have been added when entering or exiting the game.[/p]
  • [p]A system message has been added to provide advance notice before a specific floor closes.[/p]
  • [p]An automatic hardware detection feature has been added.[/p]
    • [p]When launching the game, your PC specifications will be automatically analyzed, and the most suitable graphic settings will be applied.[/p]
  • [p]Anonymous Mode has been added.[/p]
    • [p]Other survivors’ nicknames will now appear anonymously in-game.[/p]
  • [p]The Ranking System will be temporarily disabled during this Steam Next Fest Playtest while improvement work is underway.[/p]
[hr][/hr][p]We look forward to your support and participation, Survivors![/p][p][/p][p]See you soon at the Liberty Grand Center![/p]