MythForce News

[h3]Hey Adventurers![/h3]

We hope you enjoyed our last blog on elemental combos, and are excited to start taking down mobs of Deadalus’s forces with your friends. This week, we’re taking a look at everyone’s favorite bad boy of MythForce - Rico, and what changes you can expect to see in the 1.2 update. Whether you love dealing sneaky backstabs for high crit damage, dominating the battlefield with lightning-fast attacks, or supporting your team by debuffing/misdirecting the enemy, Rico’s three distinct skill trees each bring something unique to the table, so “Enough talk - have at you!”



As a Nightblade, Rico is all about delivering big, one-hit damage from sneak attacks. If you're looking to find success as a Nightblade, you’re gonna want to stick to the shadows and avoid taking on foes head on. Nightblades aren't just about stalking your prey, you’ll find yourself teleporting around the battlefield, always ready to land the finishing strike.

Some standout abilities for Rico’s NightBlade tree include:

• Cool Off: On Crit Kill, decrease all ability cooldowns by 15%
  
• Smoke Bomb: Rico’s smoke bomb freezes all enemies in the vicinity
  
• Encore: Increases the number of backslash charges and increases damage by 25%
  

As with every skill tree, Rico’s Nightblade comes with several unique changes to how their MythForce ability is charged, and its effect on activation. In order to charge Rico’s MythForce as a Nightblade, players must execute (surprise surprise) critical hits. When activated, all enemies in the area are temporarily blinded, serving themselves up a silver platter for you and your teammates. If being the deadliest assassin in the dungeon is your goal - then the Nightblade skill tree is for you.



Sneaking around the battlefield not for you? Want to get right into the action for some fast-paced combat while dealing rapid strikes? The Swashbuckler may be the class for you. With lightning-fast light attacks and abilities that allow you to keep up relentless pressure, Rico the Swashbuckler is always on the move, and rarely not attacking.

Some standout abilities for Rico’s Swashbuckler tree include:

• Speedy: On kill, gain a speed buff for 5 seconds, increasing your movement speed and attack rate.
  
• Invigorating: After activating backstab, Rico refreshes all his other active ability cooldowns
  
• Wind Tunnel: Immunity to ranged projectile attacks while sprinting
  

To charge your MythForce as a Swashbuckler players will need to execute as many melee combos as possible on the battlefield. Once your is charged, activate it to damage link all enemies in the nearby vicinity. You’ll have plenty of stamina to spare, so get slashin’ and start clearing those mobs!



What monstrosity is this? A version of Rico that isn’t self-centered and is all about teamplay? As a Trickster players will be confounding their enemies with debuffs, misdirection, and knockbacks. While not as effective at dealing damage as his other classes, Trickster Rico excels at hampering foes, making them vulnerable to your allies’ attacks.

Some standout abilities for Rico’s Trickster tree include:

• Spectral: Go into ghost form for 5 seconds after using special abilities, allowing you to pass through enemies unharmed.
  
• Dirty Fighter: Deal 30% extra damage to enemies that are burning, confused, or blinded
  
• Punch Card: Power attacks have a 10% chance to confuse enemies for 20 seconds
  

Charging your MythForce as a Trickster is as easy as debuffing every enemy you see. When activated, Trickster Rico will throw all enemies in the vicinity into a state of confusion, causing them to attack one another for 20 seconds. If you enjoy supporting your team by keeping enemies disoriented and weak, Trickster is the path to take.



The team has made significant progress in the past few weeks and we are now transitioning into the QA stage for the 1.2 update. We know that a lot of you are extremely eager to be able to playtest the update, and if you have read this far into our dev blog you are exactly the kind of player we want testing this update and providing valuable feedback. Currently, we are opening up registration in our discord for playtesting the update. To register your interest, and get notified as soon as playtests go live join our discord and check our pinned comments for playtest information.

For our next dev blog, we will be delving deep into what is arguably the most significant (and coolest) addition in the 1.2 update -Encounter Objectives.

Stay tuned and see you in the dungeon!

[h3]Hey Adventurers![/h3]

Welcome back! In our last dev blog, we took a deep dive into Maggie’s new skill trees and some of the radical new classes you’ll be able to mix and match with. We’ve been thrilled by the feedback so far, and are happy to see how many of you are excited about the 1.2 update!

This time, we’re focusing on another brand-new mechanic coming with 1.2—Elemental Combos. This new mechanic is something the team has been working very hard on, and we feel it addresses a lot of the issues/limitations players may have previously experienced with the current elemental system. Without further ado, let’s break down what elemental combos are and how they’ll enhance your combat experience in the upcoming update.

What Are Elemental Combos?

In the 1.2 update, elemental combos are triggered when two different elemental status effects combine. These combos can occur through spellbooks, elemental weapons, or special abilities. When triggered, they create an instant AoE (area of effect) explosion based on the combination of elements involved. The resulting AoE debuffs/damages all enemies within the blast radius. Importantly, elemental combos can only be triggered by players, so no need to worry about being nuked into oblivion by a group of acolyte casters.

What Was the Problem?

One of the goals for the MythForce team has always been to make combat feel IMPACTFUL but FUN. While there are plenty of cool elemental effects in the current version of the game, they’ve often gone underutilized. The reason? Many players felt that elemental-enhanced weapons weren’t pulling their weight compared to their non-elemental counterparts. Running around with a flaming greatsword or lightning bow should make you feel MORE powerful, but currently it feels more like a hindrance. The team settled on elemental combos as a way of not only encouraging players to enchant their weapons with elemental enhancements, but to add an additional layer of strategy when selecting weapon types and effects when playing as a group. Let's take a look at some of the elemental combos you can expect to see when battling it out in the dungeon.

[h2]FIRE + ICE [/h2]
Combining Fire and Ice creates a blast that weakens and exposes all enemies in the vicinity. Weakened enemies deal less outgoing damage, while exposed enemies guarantee your next hit will be a critical strike. This combo is perfect for setting up powerful follow-up attacks and controlling the flow of battle.




[h2]ICE + LIGHTNING [/h2]
Mixing Ice and Lightning results in a deadly combo that weakens enemies and links their damage. With damage link in place, hitting just one enemy will spread damage to all linked foes, making this combo ideal for clearing out large groups.




[h2]LIGHTNING + FIRE [/h2]
Combine Lightning and Fire for a devastating effect that both exposes and damage-links nearby enemies. Have a sharp enough greatsword? You might be able to take out a whole group with one swing.

(elemental combo debuff effects are subject to change pending playtest feedback)


Whether you’re switching between a fire spell and a greatsword as Rico or swapping between spellbooks as Maggie, we believe there are tons of exciting and deadly elemental combos for players to discover in the 1.2 update. Stay tuned for more info on how you can customize your hero with the revamped armory and enchantment system!

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts—drop your feedback in the comments below and join our Discord to stay updated on future testing opportunities.


See you in the dungeon!

Hey Adventurers!

It's been a while since our last update, and we know many of you have been eager to learn more about the upcoming 1.2 overhaul!

Since our previous dev blog, we’ve received lots of questions about some of the incoming changes and how they’ll impact the gameplay experience. So, over the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out a series of deep dives that cover everything from the new skill tree system, encounter objectives, elemental combo mechanics—and more. While we are still not ready to release the update just yet, our goal is to get as much feedback on the new character trees and mechanics as possible to ensure this update truly resonates with the community. We’re even exploring pre-release testing to let you try out the changes before they go live. If you’re interested in helping shape this update, be sure to drop your thoughts in the comments or join our Discord for future beta test announcements!


One of the most exciting features in this overhaul is the introduction (or reintroduction, for our early access veterans) of skill trees. Unlike the current system - where heroes level up only during a run - the new skill tree system moves progression to the outer loop. Players will now earn XP across runs, which will level up each individual hero. When players increase a character’s level, they will unlock skill points that they can spec into one of three distinct skill trees—or mix and match between them.


Each of these trees offers unique play styles that cater to different kinds of players. In addition to the difference in playstyles between each of skilltree, each hero’s Overdrive meter will charge, and have different effects when activated depending on the skill tree you spec into. We'll explore all of the heroes in the coming weeks, but to kick things off, let’s take a closer look at the skill trees for Maggie.


We’ve been hard at work developing three distinct hero classes for our resident Mage. These classes include; Wild Mage, Artificer, and Battlemage, with each one offering a unique approach to combat. Whether you’re a fan of chaotic elemental damage, crowd control, or high speed action, there’s an class here for you.

Here’s the breakdown;



As a Wild Mage, Maggie’s all about unleashing chaotic elemental combos (more on this later) that can quickly shift the tide of battle against any powerful foe. Maggie’s abilities take on random elemental properties, adding another layer of chaos that makes fights feel fresh and unpredictable.

Some standout abilities for Maggie’s Wild Mage class include;

• Chaotic Combo: Applies a random buff to the player on any triggered elemental combo.
  
• Wild Owl: Familiar projectiles now explode in an AOE which damages nearby enemies.
  
• Conflux: Every enemy killed inside Maggie’s barrier increases its radius by 10%
  

When Maggie enters Overdrive in Wild Mage mode, things get even wilder! By applying elemental damage Maggie charges her Overdrive meter, and on activation, all enemies receive a random elemental debuff. Not only that, her elemental combos during Overdrive become extra lethal. If you’re looking for a balance of supporting your party, dealing damage, and creating a little chaos, the Wild Mage class is for you.





For those players that prefer a more tactical playstyle, the Artificer archetype turns Maggie into a powerful support hero. With the ability to freeze enemies, heal allies (finally), and summon multiple familiars, Artificer Maggie is a key player when it comes to controlling the battlefield and keeping your team in the fight.

Some standout abilities for Maggie’s Artificer class include;

• Familiars Mod: Familiars can now target Maggie and friendly players and HEAL on hit.
  
• Lockdown: Increased damage to chilled or frozen enemies
  
• Force Field: Allies inside Maggie's bubble gain recharge.
  

When you activate Overdrive as an Artificer, the entire battlefield chills out. Activating MythForce freezes all enemies in the current room, giving your team a chance to regroup, or get some easy hits on some undead popsicles. The Overdrive meter in the Artificer class is charged by activating special abilities, so keep laying down turrets and bubbles to trigger a second Ice Age.





If raw power and high damage numbers are your thing, look no further than the Battlemage. This class focuses on getting in enemies faces at close range with a portable shield/familiar and dealing devastating power attacks at mid-range while weakening enemies to set them up for even bigger hits. Battlemage Maggie is all about moving fast and maximizing damage with overwhelming force.

Some standout abilities for Maggie’s Battlemage class include;

• Focused: Power attacks have a chance to grant a speed boost to Maggie
  
• Besties: Enemies hit by Maggie’s familiar are debuffed
  
• Snappier: On snap activation, gain a speed boost
  

Once Overdrive is activated in Battlemage mode, Maggie debuffs all enemies on the battlefield, setting them up for massive damage spikes. Maggie’s power attacks charge the overdrive meter, so every hit you land brings you closer to lethal strikes against weakened foes. If you want to obliterate enemies with precision and raw power, Battlemage is where you’ll thrive.





We’re incredibly excited for players to get their hands on these new classes for Maggie, and curious to see what kind of build combinations players come up with when our 1.2 update launches. Whether you’re a fan of fast-paced elemental combos, strategic battlefield control, or raw damage output, Maggie’s classes will give you the tools to play the way you want. Which class are you most excited to try? Let us know in the comments below.

As always, keep the feedback coming, and stay tuned for more dev blogs & previews in the coming weeks.

Happy adventuring!

Our summer sale is almost over and trust us, you're not gonna want to miss this.

Why?

Sure, we've got some fire deals.

But you can also pre-order STAR WARS™: Bounty Hunter™ NOW!

It's officially the hottest time of the year and you know what?

We think that the classic summer beach vacation is overrated.

That's why we're offering you dozens of alternate vacation locations, all available from the comfort (and AC) of your own home!

Why not boot up Tomb Raider I-III Remastered and visit Atlantis, Venice, or India? Or visit over a dozen planets from the Star Wars galaxy in Star Wars Battlefront: Classic Collection?

You can visit all these travel destinations and more in the games in Aspyr's 2024 Summer Sale!

Don't forget to start your summer off right by pre-ordering Star Wars: Bounty Hunter now!

Check out Aspyr's Steam Summer Sale now!