Ways of Alchemy News

[p]Some players lost save data and couldn't load their games, resulting in progress loss. This hotfix addresses those problems. It also makes the "000,0s" card bug workaround functional. We apologize for these issues - losing progress is unacceptable and we're working hard to prevent it. We'll continue working on finding the causes and implementing more fixes tomorrow.[/p]

• [p]Save system fixes — fixed save corruption issues that were preventing some players from loading their saves.[/p]
• [p]Quick fix for "000,0s" bug — the ] and \[ keyboard tools now work properly to help recover from this display issue.[/p]

[p]How to use the "000,0s" quick bug fix:[/p]

1. [p]Hover over the broken card and hold the ] key on your keyboard. This will safely reset the card's UI.[/p]
2. [p]If that doesn't help, try holding the \[ key instead — you'll lose that specific card and all its properties, equipped artifacts (if it's a character), etc, but you'll get a working replacement. Use this option only as a last resort.[/p]

[p]We've added a major new NPC and made some important UI adjustments based on your feedback.[/p][p][/p][h2]Welcome New NPC — Valuemonger![/h2][p]Valuemonger is now added to the game. This merchant will:[/p]

• [p]Exchange coins for higher denominations[/p]
• [p]Break down coins into smaller denominations[/p]
• [p]Sell you Amber Resin[/p]

[p]Where to find the Valuemonger: new players will encounter him on the road to town, while those with existing saves can find him on the town streets. Keep in mind you'll need to send the Alchemist or hirelings, not spirits, since spirits can't interact with people.[/p][p][/p][h2]Improved UI & Balance:[/h2]

• [p]Energy display update – removed the limit from the player panel since you can actually gain more than 15 energy in the game.[/p]
• [p]Hunger scale adjustments – updated maximum values for Alchemist (300 → 400) and hirelings (200 → 400) to help identify starving characters earlier. In-game starting hunger values are adjusted accordingly so characters begin with full hunger bars. You could always exceed these scales without limits — these changes are primarily visual to better indicate what constitutes low vs high values.[/p]

[p]Small fixes:[/p]

• [p]Fixes for Simplified and Traditional Chinese translations – corrected various text issues.[/p]

• [p]Fixed restore backup button – the button will now remain active when it should be.[/p]
• [p]Added card inspector scrolling – added mouse wheel scrolling for card descriptions in the inspector[/p]

[p]Today's update focuses on text improvements and balance adjustments.[/p][p][/p][h2]Text & UI Fixes:[/h2]

• [p]Plant and seed description corrections – fixed incorrect planting requirements in various descriptions.[/p]
• [p]Minor UI improvement – frames are now slightly more visible on the field.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Balance Changes:[/h2]

• [p]Reduced growth time for most late-game plants – the final stage will now be less tedious.[/p]
• [p]Fertility boost for plants – all of them can now be grown multiple times.[/p]
• [p]Spirits gather water even faster – your garden patches will no longer dry out.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Technical Improvement:[/h2]

• [p]Enhanced save backup system – now you can select which specific save to restore from a list. ⚠️Important: This feature is experimental and should only be used if your main save is corrupted![/p]

[p]We’ve been polishing the game further, fixing bugs and making systems more transparent:[/p]

• [p]Font size adjustment – You can now change the in-game font size from the menu. (Feature was actually shipped in the previous update, but totally worth highlighting!)[/p]
• [p]Steam forum reporting – If you have questions about the game or want to share a bug, please head to our Steam forums. We pinned posts with important info and a special ticket form there, which should help us get more reports. [/p]
• [p]Fertilizer system rework – this one is pretty big:[/p]
  • [p]The system now uses 4 fertilizer cards with fixed values. The patch will tell you what fertilizer you will get when loading decomposable things into a plot.[/p]
  • [p]If you provide more decomposables than the largest card requires, you will receive multiple cards. No more wasting extra materials on absurdly overpowered fertilizers.[/p]
  • [p]Plant fertilizer requirements remain unchanged, but you can still apply stronger fertilizers if you wish.[/p]
  • [p]Your old fertilizer cards remain and will function as before — nothing will be lost. [/p]
• [p]Bug fixes:[/p]
  • [p]Spirits growing turnips will now correctly finish their work even if seeds run out.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a bug where infinite ingredients (e.g., Flesh of a Name and Bone of Nameless) were destroyed when used in rituals.[/p]
• [p]Small balance change – Hevea sprouts now require simple materials instead of silver as the additional ingredient.[/p]
• [p]Backup system clarification:[/p]
  • [p]The backup system now cycles through your existing saves, meaning it is possible to revert to the save from which the backup process started. Previously, this led to permanent loss of that initial save. Please use this only in emergencies, as it is still not entirely safe.[/p]
  • [p]For those affected by the backup button issue, please read our thread about lost progress.[/p]

[p] Thank you once again for helping us make the game even better![/p]