Few Shall Return News

[p]Hi Everyone!👋[/p][p][/p][h2]Maps, maps everywhere[/h2][p]Initially, we were planning on having only one map for the demo. However, after careful consideration, we've decided to increase that number. Starting today, there are 3 maps that randomly rotate when you start a game. [/p][p]As a reminder: the final, full game will have an infinite amount of maps because they are procedurally generated.[/p][p][/p][h2]Bug fixes[/h2]

• [p]Increased the hitbox size for various items to make them easier to pick up[/p]
• [p]Enemies don't slide anymore while stunned[/p]
• [p]The "BLOCKED"/"DODGE" was missing in the previous build. That's fixed now
  [/p]

[h2]What's next?[/h2][p]We'll most likely skip next week's update because of GDC. If you're in the San Francisco area, ping us to say hi. [/p][p][/p][p]As always, please share your thoughts on Discord and follow us on social media: [/p][p]https://linktr.ee/ballardgames[/p][p][/p][p]-- The Ballard Games Team[/p]

[h3]Greetings, dungeon delvers! ⚔[/h3][p]With this week's update, we bring a close to this wave of combat and aim adjustments.[/p][p][/p][h2] Introducing: Auto Aim![/h2][p]No longer will Sprout fire shot after shot at enemies, hoping to land a hit that never happens! To bring this game more in line with the kinds of skill checks the genre generally demands, we're eliminating fine aiming as a player requirement with auto aim.[/p][p][/p][p]We also added a selection outline, to make it clear which target you're aiming at![/p][p][/p][h2] What's new in combat?[/h2][p]Blocking now generates a stun! If you raise your shield in time, you'll have an extra second or so to reposition yourself to avoid future hits.[/p][p][/p][h2] Bug fixes[/h2]

• [p]Enemies no longer get caught on colliders of other dead enemies[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where client players were sliding instead of animating properly[/p]
• [p]Firing ranged weapons when right up against a target no longer spawns the projectile on the opposite side of the target, missing them entirely.[/p][p][/p]

[h2] What's next?[/h2][p]Now that we've got the basic combat mechanics ironed out, we plan to add tutorialization! The VFX changes are still planned, too, and will likely be completed before the new tutorial changes.[/p]

[p]Hi Everyone!👋[/p][p]We've got a couple more combat changes for you, along with fixes to make aiming more fun and consistent![/p][h2]
What's new in combat?[/h2]

• [p]Attacks now slow you down. Molokhia's hammer slows him down more than a sword would, and Sprout needs to stop to fully aim his pistol shots![/p]

• [p]Players now use a sideways and backwards walk animation as needed, this can be seen if you're attacking in one direction and moving in another.[/p]

• [p]Melee attack VFX is now projected out by the equipped weapon's attack range, allowing easier judging of distance.[/p]

• [p]Players now change direction for movement and aiming instantly, instead of being restricted by interpolation.[/p]

• [p]Controller players can now aim with the right stick.[/p]

[h2]
What else is new?[/h2]

• [p]The boss room is now filled with mysterious fog![/p]

• [p]A resume button was added to the gameplay pause interface.[/p]

[h2]
Bug fixes[/h2]

• [p]Switching two keybinding no longer activates both actions when used.[/p]

• [p]Player names are now sanitized, so you can't increase your name's font size until it takes up the whole screen anymore.[/p]

• [p]Fixed a missing pixel on your health bar when you're at full health.[/p]

• [p]The fountain no longer double shows your healing amount.[/p]

• [p]The maintenance screen, which is only shown while the infrastructure is being updated for a build, now allows you to interact with the quit, Discord, and Steam buttons.[/p]

[h2]
What's next?[/h2][p]We're giving the game VFX a consistency pass! Let us know if there's any effects that look out of place and could use adjustment, or any effect you think we're missing.
[/p][p]Please share your thoughts on Discord and follow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/ballardgames[/p][p][/p][p]-- The Ballard Games Team[/p]

[p]Hi Everyone!👋[/p][p]This week's update is all about combat. We've revamped the combat system to feel more dynamic and engaging.[/p][p][/p][h2]What's new in combat?[/h2]

• [p]Attacks now have a startup duration, allowing certain weapons to take more or less time to attack with.[/p]
• [p]Attacks from both players and enemies can stun.[/p]
• [p]Attacks can be interrupted if the target is starting an attack when they get hit. There's a visual indicator to let you know when the attack is starting.[/p]
• [p]Gambler's Folly, Sprout's gun, does frequent stuns.[/p]
• [p]Mealnir, Molokhia's tenderizer, has a chance of dealing really long stuns.[/p]
• [p]A new visual effect and sound effect for Sprout's gun.[/p]

[h2]What else is new?[/h2]

• [p]Matchmaking! Until now, you could only create or join private games. Now you can matchmake with strangers. Just press the "Play" button and wait for the next available game.[/p]
• [p]No more trying to figure out what that item is on the floor. Now you will get a tooltip showing you what the item is.[/p]

[h2]Bug fixes[/h2]

• [p]Sprout's gun is now audible only around Sprout. Before, you could hear it from anywhere on the map. Yes, we know it's a powerful weapon, but it's not THAT powerful...[/p]
• [p]Touching the red crystals would give continuous damage until you die, even if you move away. Now, you only take damage as long as you're in contact with the crystal.[/p]

[h2]What's next?[/h2][p]Over the next few weeks, we'll tweak and balance the new combat parameters. We need your feedback for that! Try the new combat and tell us what you think.[/p][p]Please share your thoughts on Discord and follow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/ballardgames[/p][p][/p][p]-- The Ballard Games Team[/p]

[p]Hi Everyone!👋[/p][p][/p][p]We are thrilled to publish one of our biggest updates to date! Since launch, Few Shall Return has featured four classic archetypes: the Wizard, Witch, Knight, and Queen. While they served us well, we wanted to evolve beyond the standard. [/p][p]Today, we are replacing them with two brand new characters! These heroes were designed entirely in-house, featuring custom art and distinct new abilities to shake up the gameplay. [/p][p][/p][p]Without further ado, here they are:[/p][p][/p][h2]Molokhia[/h2][h2]Sprout[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h2]Other notable changes in this update[/h2]

• [p]You might notice some UI changes. We're half-way through a visual redo[/p]
• [p]There's A LOT more loot in the dungeon (maybe too much? You tell us)[/p]
• [p]Enemies can drop loot and weapons![/p]
• [p]The default weapon for each character (Mealnir for Molokhia and Gambler's Folly for Sprout) is only granted automatically if you don't already have one. If you have one, equip in the character selection screen[/p]

[h2]What's next?[/h2][p]Over the next few weeks, we'll tweak and balance the new characters. We need your feedback for that! Give both characters a try and tell us if they feel too strong/weak both in the context of the game and relative to each other. Also, let us know, which character(s) should we add next?[/p][p]Please share your thoughts on Discord and follow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/ballardgames[/p][p][/p][p]-- The Ballard Games Team[/p]