Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel News

[p]This update continues polishing the first full release of the loot, inventory, and visual equipment systems.
Both beta and demo branches are still receiving updates so we can gather as much feedback as possible while these systems settle. If you notice anything odd, please report it here or on Discord — it helps a lot.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]🌟 Elemental Damage – Gameplay & Visual Expansion[/h2][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Elemental damage now has clearer effects and a much stronger identity:[/p]

• [p]Burn
  Increased damage with stronger, fitting fire visuals[/p]
• [p]Frost
  Slows enemies and shatters them into ice on death[/p]
• [p]Arcane
  Triggers magical burst damage (visual + impact)[/p]
• [p]Poison
  Applies damage over time[/p]
• [p]Lightning
  Chains between nearby enemies on successful hits[/p]

[p]These changes make elemental choices far more readable, tactical, and impactful in combat.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]🧰 Improvements & Additions[/h2][h3]⚙️ Settings & Presets (Ongoing Work)[/h3]

• [p]Started a rework of the settings menu to support clear, user-friendly presets[/p]
• [p]Includes groundwork for graphics presets, with a Steam Deck–focused preset planned[/p]
• [p]This is one of the prerequisites for pursuing a Steam Deck Verified badge[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]🐛 Bug Fixes[/h2]

• [p]Fixed an edge case where equipping multiple identical weapons with different elements would always apply the first weapon’s element[/p]
• [p]Fixed scroll-related bugs[/p]
• [p]Fixed the level-up panel occasionally getting stuck[/p]
• [p]Fixed crawler enemies missing emerge particle effects[/p]
• [p]Fixed ghost soldiers being damaged by the player’s own special weapon[/p]
• [p]Fixed an inventory bug where players could no longer slot all three weapon slots[/p]
• [p]Fixed a rare issue where items could be slotted into inventory slots not intended for that item type[/p]
• [p]Various small menu and UI quirks cleaned up for smoother interaction[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]🎭 Visual & Presentation Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Character now switches to a dedicated idle pose while in menus, improving inventory readability[/p]
• [p]Additional polish to menu transitions and character presentation[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]🧪 Testing Call[/h2][p]These systems are complex and still actively evolving.
If you want to help test upcoming content and stability fixes, beta testers are very welcome.[/p][p]👉 Join the Discord or DM me directly
🔗 Discord: [/p][p]https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df[/p][p][/p]

[p]Hi there![/p][p]Alright. This is it. This is the last bit of big tech I needed to make for the loot system. It's a small addition really but an important one. Unique loot items. Basically Items that do not get their stats randomly but instead are custom made and named by..well..me ;) The idea being that I can now make items that fit a quest really well or are just super rare/cool/weird.[/p][h3]Clarification: Updates on Both Beta & Demo[/h3][p]Right now we have both a beta branch and a public demo.
Because we're still developing core technology for the game (loot, inventory, wearables, unique items, etc.),
I am currently pushing all updates to the demo as well, so everyone can help test them.[/p][p]That means the new unique item added in this patch is in the demo too — findable by everyone![/p][hr][/hr][h3]Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed the Soldier’s pose during inventory moments.
  The stance now remains correct and no longer snaps into odd poses while browsing gear.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]Additions — Unique Loot System[/h3][p][/p][p]The technical foundation for Unique Weapons and Wearables is now fully implemented!
These are handcrafted, non-random items designed for:[/p]

• [p]Story and quest rewards[/p]
• [p]Hidden secrets[/p]
• [p]Special encounters[/p]
• [p]Items where random stats would ruin the fantasy or design[/p]

[p]Uniques ignore stat rolls, rarity logic, and elemental/skill randomization — they are exactly what I craft them to be.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]🎁 First Unique Item Added — Can You Find It?[/h3][p]A unique item has now been placed somewhere in the game/demo.[/p][p]🟡 The first 50 players who find it will receive a FREE game key at Early Access release![/p][p]To participate:[/p]

1. [p]Join the Discord[/p]
2. [p]Send me (RevolvingGearStudios) a PM containing:[/p]
   • [p]A selfie in front of your monitor, and[/p]
   • [p]A screenshot of your character standing next to the unique loot drop[/p]

[p](The selfie ensures nobody reuses someone else’s screenshot 😄)[/p][p]👉 Yes — this unique is in the demo. Everyone can hunt for it![/p][hr][/hr][h3]🔗 Join the Discord to Submit Your Find[/h3][p]https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df[/p][p][/p]

[p]Small follow-up update to the big loot & inventory release[/p][p]🙏 Testing Call[/p][p]The latest loot and inventory update is now live on both beta and demo.[/p][p]These systems are big and complex, so if you can test them, I’d really appreciate it — more testers = more eyes on edge cases we can fix quickly.[/p][p]---[/p][p]🐛 Bugfixes[/p][p]Fixed scrolls bug (reported by @Blacke00).[/p][p]Ghost Soldiers can no longer be hit by your own special weapon.[/p][p](Turns out killing your undead comrades was not intended…)[/p][p]Fixed an issue where the level-up panel could sometimes stay stuck on screen — it now always closes properly.[/p][p]Squashed several menu quirks, improving overall smoothness and consistency.[/p][p]---[/p][p]🎨 UI & Presentation Improvements[/p][p]When opening menus (inventory, skills, etc.), the player character now switches to an “in-menu idle animation”, improving how the character looks while browsing the inventory.[/p][p]Additional small polish improvements to menus and transitions.[/p][p]---[/p][p]✨ New Element Progress (Poison & Arcane)[/p][p]Work has begun on Poison and Arcane elemental effects:[/p][p]Bullets for both elements now show the correct visual effects.[/p][p]At this stage, the effects are purely visual — no special secondary mechanics yet.[/p][p]The goal is for both elements to eventually have unique gameplay effects against enemies.[/p][p]---[/p][p]⚡ Next Up: Lightning Chain Effect[/p][p]Work has also begun on the Lightning element’s chain effect, which will be the first element with a more complex gameplay interaction.[/p][p]---[/p][p]⭐ Coming Soon: Uniques[/p][p]After (or during) the elemental work, development will shift to Uniques — custom-crafted loot drops that are not randomly rolled and often tied to story, lore, or special encounters.[/p][p][/p][p]🧪 We Need More Testers![/p][p][/p][p]Want to help shape all these new systems?[/p][p]👉 Give a shout if you want to test![/p][p][/p][p]Or join the Discord and hop into the beta group:[/p][p][/p][p]🔗 https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[h3]First Full Release of the Loot, Inventory & Visual Equipment Systems[/h3][p]This build marks the first complete release of the entire loot, inventory, and visually equipped items system.
I’ve deliberately pushed it to both the beta branch and the public demo branch so everyone can try it.[/p][p]If you see anything odd, broken, or just want to give feedback — please let me know here or on the Discord![/p][hr][/hr][h3]Loadscreen Gear Display (New)[/h3][p][/p][p]The loadscreen now properly displays your actual equipped gear:[/p]

• [p]All weapons (primary, secondary, special) show correctly[/p]
• [p]Belts and other wearables now appear on the character[/p]
• [p]Tech rebuilt so loadscreen visuals no longer rely on main-game systems[/p]

[p]This is the first time the loadscreen reflects real gear.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]
Inventory Screen & In-Game Character Now Show Equipped Loot Correctly[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p]Just like the updated loadscreen, both the inventory character view and your in-game character model now display all equipped loot accurately.
Weapons, belts, and other visible wearables are now positioned correctly on the body, and refresh smoothly when equipping or swapping items.[/p][p]This means the character you see in the inventory, the loadscreen, and the actual game world are now fully in sync with your real equipment.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Bow Special Weapon Fix 🏹 [/h3]

• [p]Fixed an issue where the bow special weapon sometimes failed to play the correct shooting animation.
  It now always triggers the intended animation.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]Additional Fixes & Polishing 🛠️ [/h3]

• [p]Fixed a rare issue that caused the roll/dodge system to stop working.[/p]
• [p]Improved performance when loading equipment visuals on the character.[/p]
• [p]Minor stability tweaks across inventory and loadscreen systems.[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]Want to help shape all these new systems?
👉 Give a shout if you want to test![/p][p]Or join the Discord and hop into the beta group:[/p][p]🔗 [/p][p]https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df[/p][p][/p]

[p]Hey everyone! [/p][p]Once again there's allot of new stuff coming. I figured I'd make another devlog about it for easy consumption. For those who want to read more details, look below![/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Quick summary of the huge systems that landed over the last patches:[/p][h3]🛡️ Wearables (Rings, Belts, Necklaces, Armor)[/h3][p][/p][p]Wearables can now be:[/p]

• [p]Looted and equipped[/p]
• [p]Grant stat bonuses and elemental resistances[/p]
• [p]Provide item skills[/p]
• [p]Correctly respect slot-types (ring → ring slot, etc.)[/p]
• [p]Fully shown inside the polished, updated character inventory screen[/p]

[h3]🔫 Weapon Feel Overhaul (Major Upgrade)[/h3][p][/p]

• [p]Recoil rebuilt from scratch — now fully IK-based and far more natural[/p]
• [p]Reload behaviour now varies per weapon (shotguns/hand cannons take longer)[/p]
• [p]Muzzle flashes replaced to match barrel length and weapon placement[/p]
• [p]Fix: Auto-rifles (Thompson, MP40, shotgun) no longer have a “first shot delay”[/p]
• [p]Overall gunplay is more responsive and grounded[/p]

[h3]📸 Character Screen Improvements[/h3]

• [p]You now stand in a proper inventory scene with much better depth[/p]
• [p]Character behaviour/pose updated[/p]
• [p]Slots and visuals polished across the board[/p]

[h3]🔊 Audio Fixes[/h3]

• [p]AudioListener now follows vertical movement properly[/p]
• [p]Cleaned up enemy sound effects[/p]
• [p]Enemies now have directional sound[/p]

[h3]🐛 Other Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed a hole you could fall into at Dweller’s Gate[/p]
• [p]Fixed enemyTarget system keeping stale or unspawned (buried) enemies[/p]
• [p]Various loot / UI / inventory fixes[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]⚠️ Still missing (coming next):[/h2][p]Equipped items are not yet shown in the loadscreen.
This will be added soon so your character always visually matches your gear.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]🧪 Want to Help Test? We Need More Testers![/h2][p]If you want to try all of this early and help shape the ARPG layer of the game:
👉 Just give a shout — or join our Discord and hop into beta testing![/p][p]🔗 Discord:[/p][p]https://discord.gg/g5fK7Df[/p][p][/p]