Divinia Chronicles: Relics of Gan-Ti News

Dear friends,

Today we are pushing our final milestone before full release, the update to version 0.9901 is now live!!! ːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyː With this update we have added all sidequests and extra content to the game. Divinia Chronicles: Relics of Gan-Ti is now content complete. This is by far our biggest update to date, so as usual I will take you step by step through all the changes:

[h3]Added Chapter 12[/h3]
Spoiler alert!The world has been saved but the Great Tree has perished. After the great battle, Cyrus and his party wake up and are greeted by the Sprout of the Great Tree, who will one day eventually grow back into his former glory. To celebrate this great victory, the party decides to travel to Orio Beach, which has finally been opened to the public again. Help Tayeb to set-up his newest artefact shop at the beach and rescue a cute new friend. Enjoy your brief ocean getaway young hero, you have earned it!. Added new region “Orio Beach” including 2 new monsters as the late-game hub. Added “Orio Beach” to the 2D/3D world map.

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[h3]Unlock and upgrade Shields[/h3]
With this update we have added 4 shields to the game. You will find and upgrade your shield by completing side quests. Spoiler alert!After helping his wife Leona to find her missing cat Luna, Blacksmith Roland will help Cyrus to upgrade his newly gained wooden shield with rare orb flowers found across Orio Island. Travel to the hidden Mushroom Cave, the Great Desert and the Frozen Cavern to fully upgrade your shield. Reworked blocking system to make block stronger, but striking the player from behind will break the block. Added full set of new combat animations when carrying shields. Current shield selection of Cyrus will be properly shown during cutscenes.

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[h3]Unlock new Combat Moves[/h3]
With this update we have added 3 new attack moves to the game. Spoiler alert!Unlock new combat moves by killing Koyo Spiders across Orio Island. Koyo Spiders are ancient arachnids which feed on the suffering in the world to harvest magical powers. Track all Koyo Spiders down and unlock new attacks in Medaris mysterious abandoned house.

[h3]New Movements and better Gamepad Controls[/h3]
Added new animations to the player like “swimming”, “falling” and “hitting solid surfaces” for more fluid movements. Heavily improved controls when choosing “Gamepad”. Camera will now follow the player (“Zelda cam”) and switch dynamically back to shoulder cam during combat. Rebinding of Gamepad Buttons for more intuitive controls.

[h3]Progression Mode, Menu Tooltips, and new Music[/h3]
Rebuilt the Main Menu to add detailed tooltips for all items and explaining their purpose to the player. After unlocking a new element, tooltips will explain how each magic spell works and how they improve for each level. Changed the game mode from “Chapter Selection” to “Progression Mode”. You no longer select each chapter manually but can directly “resume” the game where you left off. Added “Completion System” to the menu to display player completition progression of the main story as well as the side quests and extra content. Added 8x new music tracks to complete the Divinia Chronicles: OST.

[h3]Existing player?[/h3]
We built the code so that you can simply load up the game and continue with your existing stats, at least in theory. In the unlikely event of a complication, it might be however required to reset your progress in the options menu. We do apologize for the inconvenience if this should be required.

[h3]Adjusting pricing to prepare for final release[/h3]
Like we announced in the EA description, since the game is now content complete have adjusted the game pricing to the final price. Steam requires developers to wait at least one month after adjusting pricing before allowing discounts, so the only way to have a launch discount is to raise the price before release. Thanks for everyone who bought the game during EA, we are very grateful for your support and faith in our game!

[h3]What’s next?[/h3]
After this update, we can now focus on preparing the game for full release. Here is what is still on our list before we push for full release:
- Polishing
- Playtesting and Balancing
- Voice Overs
- Localization
- Release Trailer

[h3]Can I help?[/h3]
We are looking for volunteers to help us translate the game. Can you help us localize the game to your language? If yes, pls contact me directly via [email protected]. Thank you so much for your help! :cyrus_smile::dc_bunny::dc_mazu:

As usual you can find the full change-list in our community hub by clicking here. For a sneak preview into the upcoming update and to stay updated on all game developments remember to follow-us @Diviniachronicles

Thanks a lot for your amazing support and faith in us through-out the entire game development. Stay safe and take care of yourself,

Best,
Martin
//TeamMonkey

Dear friends,

Today we are pushing our next milestone to complete the game, the update to version 0.98a is pushed and live!!! ːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyː With this update the main storyline of the game including the final boss fight is now completed. As usual I will break down the update for you:

[h3]Added Chapter 11[/h3]
Spoiler alert! Vesta has joined the party and you now wield the power of the blazing fire of Mt. Suvius. Use her powers toset your blade on fire, throw a ball of fire for ranged damage or burn enemies alive for ultimate destruction.Travel above the clouds of Orio Island in pursuit of the Imperial Destroyer and find your way through the legendary four seasons forest. Use your newly gained fire elemental powers from Vesta to face down elite monsters and make your way to the Great Tree.Face the ultimate corruption and destroy the final Ganti-Relic.
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[h3]Relics of Gan-Ti, new Logo and return of a favourite[/h3]
With this update we added the Relics of Gan-Ti and many important cutscenes to complete the main story line. Spoiler alert!Friends and foes have been corrupted by the Gan-Ti Relics and for each boss fight Cyrus will destroy one Relic to free Orio island from their decay. Added new Game Logo to properly hint towards the Gan-Ti Relics. Return of a favourite: Duck Elite. We specially modelled the WW2 "Sturmgewehr 44" and used the actual sound of the gun for this monster.

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[h3]Medari Village Outfit and Cell-Shading look [/h3]
Added the starting outfit of Cyrus for the beginning of the game. Outfit and weapon selections of the player are now properly shown during cutscenes. Added Cell-Shading look to all Characters to better fit the overall art style.


[h3]New Menu and HD Worldmap, More intuitive controls[/h3]
Rebuilt the Main Menu to support localization and fit with HD resolutions. New 3D background of the menu to show the Divine Tree in 3D. Reworked various locations such as Mt Suvius, Crystal Mine, Medari Village [Night]. Changed the 2D worldmap for full widescreen support, the worldmap will change depending on the time of day and the current world. Added tooltip on game launch to select desired camera mode, added auto camera zoom and auto lock-on mode for more intuitive controls.

[h3]Existing player?[/h3]
We built the code so that you can simply load up the game and continue with your existing stats, at least in theory. In the unlikely event of a complication, it might be however required to reset your progress in the options menu. We do apologize for the inconvenience if this should be required.

Want to jump directly to the last chapters? Modify bottom line of the file below. Please note, you will be totally out-skilled if you start the later chapters with starting gear only!
"Steam/SteamApps/common/DiviniaChronicles/divchronicles/cfg/autoexec.cfg"

[h3]What’s next?[/h3]
After this update we can now focus on the side missions and additional extra content for the full release, next update v.099a: Spoiler alert! Travel to the sandy beaches of Orio island for your own special beach vacation. :cyrus_smile::cyrus_grin:

As usual you can find the full change-list in our community hub by clicking here. For a sneak preview into the upcoming update and to stay updated on all game developments remember to follow-us @Diviniachronicles

Thanks a lot for your amazing support and faith in us through-out the entire game development. Stay safe and take care of yourself and your family, no matter where you are!!!

Cheers,
Martin
//TeamMonkey

Dear friends,

Today we are pushing our next milestone to complete the game, the update to version 0.97a is pushed and live!!! ːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyː With this update we pushed the last regular chapter of the game and only the final boss fight remains to complete the campaign. As usual I will break down the update for you:

[h3]Added Chapter 10[/h3]
Spoiler alert! Start your journey from the foot of Mt Suvius to the freezing top of the volcano and meet up with Alayna to free the elemental spirit of the fire and magma Vesta. Face the new tricky monster additions such as the underground atelerix, snow bunny and the stone golem boss.
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[h3]New layer of PPE effects for cutscenes and combat[/h3]
We used Biohazards Source Shader editor to add a whole new layer of post processing effects to the game, including: Depth of field for camera focus on short / long distance during cutscenes, depth of field during combat focus, water on camera when under-water or falling into water, blood on camera on death and impact by EMP stun grenade. Also, we reworked a lot of the cutscenes for better camera angles and other improvements.

[h3]Major bugfixes and improved performance[/h3]
We finally managed to solve the “sunray flickering” bug which was constrained with the engines multicore rendering ability. Now we can make use of full multi-core rendering without impacting the sunrays, overall performance of the game especially in windowed mode improved by 30%. We added and improved LODs of all models to further improve performance.

[h3]Improved combat, magic effects and textures[/h3]
Again we have spent a lot of work to make the combat even more satisfying: Added new level of combat particles depending on what sword you use, more detailed sword swing effects, complete rework of all magic effects, player footstep particles depending on what surface you stand on and much more. Overall rework of all textures for better colour composition and transition textures e.g. between grass/stand/snow.

[h3]Expansion of OST and Mandarin localization[/h3]
We added more tracks from our OST to diversify some heavily used tracks inside the levels. Also our composer Joe has been working hard to refine some of his center-piece tracks for an even better experience, check out below his excellent work on the main theme of the Great Desert "Tanz":



Finally added Mandarin translation thanks to the hard work of Bob!
[h3]Existing player?[/h3]
We build the code so that you can simply load up the game and continue with your existing stats, at least in theory. In the unlikely event of a complication, it might be however required to reset your progress in the options menu. We do apologize for the inconvenience if this should be required.

Want to jump directly to the last chapters? Modify bottom line of the file below. Please note, you might be totally out-skilled if you start this chapter with starting gear only:
"Steam/SteamApps/common/DiviniaChronicles/divchronicles/cfg/autoexec.cfg"

[h3]What’s next?[/h3]
After this update we can now focus on the final boss fight which will complete the main story campaign with next update v.098a: Spoiler alert! Travel above the clouds of Orio Island to face the imperial destroyer and Cive at the foot of the holy tree for the final show-down of the game. After the main story campaign is completed, we will add side quests and secrets for the player to unlock once the game is completed. One side-quest will take you to the sandy beaches of Orio island for your own special beach vacation. More cool stuff and extra content is coming before the final release ːcyrus_smileːːcyrus_grinː

As usual you can find the full change-list in our community hub by clicking here. For a sneak preview into the upcoming update and to stay updated on all game developments remember to follow-us @Diviniachronicles

Thanks a lot for your amazing support and faith in us through-out the entire game development. Stay safe and take care of yourself and your family, no matter where you are!!!

Cheers,
Martin
//TeamMonkey

Dear friends,

Today we are proud to announce the biggest update for Divinia Chronicles yet, the major update to version 0.96a is pushed and live!!! ːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyː This version is such an important milestone for us because now we have not only shipped 2 more chapters, but most importantly now all the game mechanics are fully implemented. Now we can take the remaining months to fully concentrate on the last chapter plus the epic boss finale. I want to break down the update by going through the most important changes:

[h3]Added Chapter 8 + Chapter 9[/h3]Spoiler alert! Mazu has joined the party and you now wield the powers of the mighty fairy queen of the Ocean. Use her powers to quickly recharge your magic powers as well as summon powerful blizzards to freeze monsters to their death. Starting with this Chapter, you can now freely travel across Orio island. Make your way through the green mist of the bamboo forest and slay the rat sharpshooter.

[h3]Expansion of the weapon and armor shop[/h3]We did a complete rework of the weapon and armor shop as well as include another shop in the camp of the Great Desert. The shop now includes two additional sets of armor for you to purchase and unlock.


[h3]Improved combat, movement and overall visuals[/h3]Added player glory kill slow motion and player death overlay + ragdoll. Added a new layer of player animations when landing from shorter heights and landing in water. Complete rework of all game textures and greatly improved particles across the game, including explosions and weapon impacts. Added full gamepad control for game menus and tighter player control during combat. Monsters in general only respawn after changing between maps. Respawning on the same map became too annoying and was an issue for many players. With this update Cive, the main villain of the game is modelled and implemented into the game. You will meet him the first time when you walk up to Castle Orric.


[h3]Physics puzzles and treasure chests[/h3]This update includes our physics objects interaction system and many physics objects across the world with which you can freely interact. A total of 16 treasure chests can now be found across the world and some of the more difficult chests require physics manipulation to reach them.


[h3]Steam achievements and trading cards[/h3]By popular request we finally pushed and implemented the steam trading cards and steam achievements. Craft your Divinia Chronicles Divine Tree Batch for unique profile backgrounds and emoticons. :cyrus_smile::dc_stein::cyrus_grin:

[h3]Existing player?[/h3]We build the code so that you can simply load up the game and continue with your existing stats, at least in theory. In the unlikely event of a complication, it might be however required to reset your progress in the options menu. We do apologize for the inconvenience if this should be required.

[h3]What’s next?[/h3]After this update we can now focus on the last regular chapter of the game: Mt Suvius: [Spoiler]After reaching the top of the mountain you will free the last element of the game Vesta. Finally, you will travel high above the clouds of Orio Island for the final boss show-down at the base of the Divinia Tree.

As usual you can find the full change-list in our community hub by clicking here. For a sneak preview into the upcoming update and to stay updated on all game developments remember to follow-us @Diviniachronicles

Thanks a lot for your amazing support and faith in us through-out the entire game development. And in regards of recent events: Please take care and stay safe! ːlunar2019coolpigːːlunar2019grinningpigː

Cheers,
Martin
//TeamMonkey

Dear friends,
We have good news and bad news regarding Divinia Chronicles. Lets start with the good news ːlunar2019smilingpigːːlunar2019coolpigːːlunar2019grinningpigːWe are good way through completing the last chapters of the game, which will take you through the ensorcelled green mist of the bamboo forest all the way up to the peek of Mt Suvius. Travel to the source of Gan-Ti and face the master of corruption himself. The next update 0.96a will include:

• Last 2 chapters of the game (Before the final boss showdown)
  
• Elemental spirit of the ocean Mazu for three new powerful spells
  
• New wicked creatures and challenging boss fights
  
• New armor for Cyrus to find and purchase in the shop
  
• Implementation of the long awaited STEAM trade cards and achievements
  

Now to the bad news: The update will not be ready for Christmas. I am sorry to keep you waiting longer but we want to make sure the Update is complete and stable before we release it, so please bear with us a little while longer.

For a sneak preview into the upcoming update and to stay updated on all game developments remember to follow-us @Diviniachronicles

The whole team @TeamMonkey wishes you Merry Christmas, quality time at home with your family and friends as well as all the best for the new year. ːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyːːsteamhappyː

Martin
//TeamMonkey