The Labyrinth News

Notes

• This update finalizes the game's content as the remaining pieces have been put in place. This means the game is essentially complete and prepared for full release! That doesn't mean it's going to be released just yet, as I want to do further testing to ensure there's no remaining issues and tackle the ones I know of.
  
• I have updated the default branch of the game to contain this version of the game since there's no more content missing! If you remain on the beta branch then you will have access to updates earlier and I will use the beta branch to test updates just to make sure there's no issues before pushing the update to the default branch later.
  

Bugfixes

• Fixed tutorials not saving properly which would cause them to activate multiple times
  
• Fixed the audio selectors in the options menu causing errors when you tried to change the volume
  
• Fixed Steam statistics syncing points incorrectly if you play the beta branch version while having statistics saved from the default branch version
  

Changes

• Changed the main menu Early Access text to better reflect the intention of the current game version since the overhaul is no longer on just the beta branch
  

Additions

• Added two more Potion types: Magenta and Dark Magenta! These potions grant Skill Points and Spell Points, respectively
  

I whipped together a trailer to announce that The Labyrinth is going to be exiting Early Access very soon! A hard date isn't set but it's guaranteed to be early Q1 of 2021, I'm aiming for either a January or February release. These next couple months are going to be spent ironing out any remaining kinks as well as adding the final touches before release!

I felt it was the proper time to make the trailer since full release is happening so soon and also since I feel comfortable enough with where the beta branch version is at right now to officially state that it's the definitive version of The Labyrinth. The Steam API is implemented entirely and I have a much better demo on the store page than I had before. The reason the beta branch version hasn't replaced the legacy version just yet is because there is still very small amounts of content missing from it that I want to add (on top of ensuring all major issues are patched out) before putting the nail in the coffin on the legacy version and declaring the game to be in version 1.0.

Below you can check out the trailer, but it's mostly for people that either haven't played the game or have only played the legacy version. If you've been playing on the beta branch or if you've picked up the demo then you've already seen the stuff I've put in the trailer!

Thank you all for your continued patience. I'm extremely proud with the work I've been able to accomplish and I can't wait to finally release the version of The Labyrinth I've been aiming for these past 3 years.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Notes

• This is the Achievement Update! Achievements have been overhauled, amplified, and diversified. I nearly doubled the amount to 44 achievements! Some are based around the statistics that you get during normal gameplay, and some require specific events to occur in order for them to activate. There are also 3 hidden achievements for very special events in the game!
  
• I've implemented the Steam API as best as I could, putting things in like offline syncing so if you play the game while offline your stats and achievements will sync properly once you go back online. I also implemented statistic syncing across multiple devices so if you play the game on different computers your stats count for all sessions!
  
• The last major addition is the use of the Steam Cloud for your save files! This is a brand new feature that does not exist in the legacy version of the game. Now if you install the game on a different computer you'll have all your options and save files!
  
• This update is the last major update as pretty much every feature in the legacy version of the game has now been implemented into the beta branch version! Full release is right around the corner, I'm just going to spend some time doing final tweaks so look out for an official date announcement soon! Thank you all for your continued feedback and patience!!
  

Bugfixes

• Fixed the Steam overlay not working properly and causing the game to soft lock
  
• Fixed the Treasure Room not granting you gold if you left the room with unclaimed items
  
• Fixed Instant Kill Immunity not dealing normal Attack Damage
  
• Fixed spell cost descriptions causing an error if they were a Health spell that will kill you upon casting
  
• (Potentially) fixed a rare combat issue where if a character's turn started and they were immediately killed by a status effect, the next character's turn will start too early. I say this issue is potentially fixed because I'm not 100% sure, the combat code is very complex so the fix I implemented may not have the intended consequences but it seems like it worked
  

Additions

• Added more achievements! There are now 44, 3 of which are hidden. Achievement and statistic syncing is now fully implemented so you should see your stats and achievements being activated and saved properly even if you play the game offline!
  
• Added cloud saving! If your save files get deleted or if you install the game on a new/different computer all your save files will still be there! You can access your cloud files at any time from your account's remote storage page!
  
• Added a Steam API debug menu during gameplay. At any time you can press the tilde key (~) and it'll toggle the menu, showing a log output of the Steam API usage as you play the game. You can use this in case something isn't working properly or just to see when API calls are being made
  

Known Issues

• There seems to be an issue with enemy generation if you play the game for a long time. I've gotten reports of the game attempting to generate multiple enemies but there only being one in the combat room with the game throwing an error. I'm trying to figure out where this issue is stemming from
  

To-Do

• Repair Room. This room will allow you repair your items, removing negative conditions or applying positive ones. This room will also allow you to upgrade your item rarities, for a price of course! This will allow for your items to have better multipliers than they otherwise could get from spawning naturally
  
• Run modifiers. I want to add some optional modifiers to make the game more interesting. Maybe something like permadeath or persistent buffs/debuffs to make any given run easier/harder for the player
  
• Change the way enemies level up. Right now they are always the level of your party members, but I feel this makes the experience multiplier worthless. An idea I have floating around is giving the enemies a set pool of experience based on your run length and current floor, not affected by your experience multiplier. This would mean you could curve faster than enemies, which will make the experience multiplier a stat you will actually need to take care of if you want to get ahead
  
• Re-add inventory sorting and quick-destroy options
  
• As I put in more enemies and more spells, I get a better understanding of what my code is capable of. I want to make spells that are extremely dynamic and unique for each class. I'd like to spend some time going through older classes I've made and see if they could use any sort of tweaking to bring them up to my current standards
  

This announcement is just to let you know I'm currently working on updating the cloud statistics and achievements on Steam! The statistics saved on Steam's end are going to reflect the statistics shown in-game for the beta branch version as it makes its transition into the official full release version!

Achievements also got an overhaul and I've nearly doubled the amount of them! If you aren't playing on the beta branch you won't be able to unlock any achievements for a short time (the beta branch will be able to unlock achievements however). I don't intend on this process taking long since the game is getting very close to full release, so bear with me for now!

I'm going to implement offline saving and loading, so in case there's a time where you play offline the game will sync appropriately when you do go online for both statistics and achievements. So don't fear if you lose internet, you won't lose progress!

The last big announcement is that I'm testing the waters for cloud saves! If I get it working properly then being able to save your games to the cloud will allow you to play your save file across multiple computers! This isn't an official announcement since I'm not sure if it's going to work properly, but just know I'm really trying to get it to work. That's it for now, thank you!

Notes

• This update focuses on two major things: Mystical items and faster combat in the late game!
  
• The first thing, Mystical items, are boss-specific items that only spawn with their corresponding boss. Each boss has a unique weapon and armor piece that only spawns with them. A Mystical item has a 20% chance of being chosen instead of a regular weapon/armor piece. Mystical items have unique effects that aren't seen anywhere else in the game! I won't go into details about every single Mystical item, but there are now 28 new Mystical items to look out for while playing!
  
• The second thing, faster late-game combat, is the result of me going through every spell in the game and ensuring the amount of stats they handle are as minimal as possible. So instead of a spell doing something like "Deals 100% Attack Damage plus bonus Damage equal to 10% of your Maximum Health" which implies the spell will deal 2 different instance of damage, the spell will now read "Deals 100% Attack Damage, increased by 10% of your Maximum Health". The new wording and application ensures that effects will only activate a single stat change instead of multiple. The damage dealt is effectively the same but the amount of changes dealt has been reduced.
  
• In the late-game I found turns can take a very long time for all the effects to activate all their changes. You can wait several seconds every single turn for the changes to make their way through the pipes. This can make late-game combat tedious which I wanted to avoid as much as possible. By reducing the amount of changes that get passed through that means combat will be as quick as possible!
  
• I'm happy to say with this update I have pretty much everything in the beta branch that I wanted to make! The following updates will be quality-of-life changes, bugfixes, and small adjustments as I get the final release tuned exactly how I want it! I'm excited for the next leap in this game and can't wait to present its final version to you all!
  
• Note: With the changes to many spells and effects this version is incompatible with old versions of the game, I apologize for this
  

Bugfixes

• Fixed the combat targeting keybinds targeting the wrong enemies if any got spawned/removed during combat (looking at you, Shadow Manifest)
  
• Temorarily fixed the combat log sometimes displaying off screen if many things happen in a turn. The fix itself simply makes text invisible if it gets displayed off screen but I want to apply a proper fix later
  
• Fixed enemy item generation getting off-sync if you used battle veils
  
• Fixed the Gold value in stats adding incorrectly. I've reset the gold value and highest gold stats since this issue allowed those stats to climb to exponential values
  
• Fixed the Assassin's Endless Kills not displaying how much total Instant Kill Chance you've gained from it
  
• Fixed the Knight's On Your Feet active from healing more than it should have been
  
• Fixed the Skeleton Knight's Defender not adjusting the Necromancer's Damage Reduction properly
  
• Fixed the Jester's Disturbing passive from applying on their dead allies
  
• Fixed the Tower Knight's Hew sometimes causing an error when the ability was used
  

Changes

• Changed the item special icon. Instead of a dark star that appears across the entire item icon it's now a smaller, but still very visible, star in the top-right corner of the icon. I made it smaller so the art of the item isn't obscured
  
• Changed the Berserker's Collateral Damage first upgrade. It now reduces only the health cost by 15% instead of reducing the health cost by 10% and the minimum cost by 10
  
• Changed the Dragon Slayer's Tunnel Vision. It costs more Health and has different functionality for increasing its damage, but the overall damage bonus is slightly higher. Here's a detailed breakdown of the spell:
  
  • Deals 100% Attack Damage, increased by 20% 15% per use of Tunnel Vision. All stacks are lost at the end of Combat
    
  • Cost: 7.5% 10% Health (5 25 minimum)
    
  • Upgrade: +15% +10% Damage Dealt per stack
    
  • Upgrade: -2.5% Health Cost Every second Cast of Tunnel Vision grants a single 0-Cooldown use
    
  • Notes: These changes are overall a nerf to this spell. Though the damage increase is slightly larger (+75% every 2 turns at max upgrades compared to +70% from the old upgrades), the Health Cost will make this spell take away more of your Health as you use it
    
  
  
• Changed the Knight's Forceful Impact. I felt the first upgrade was a little niche and I wanted to change it to go with the theme of condensing spell effects from activating multiple damage instances. Here's the breakdown of the changes:
  
  • Deals 75% Attack Damage, increased by 10% 15% of your Maximum Health
    
  • Upgrade: Deals an additional 10% Maximum Health Damage if used below 50% Health +25% Initial Damage
    
  • Notes: I made these changes in an attempt to keep a balance with the previous amount of damage this spell can deal. I'm projecting the spell will deal slightly less damage now since 10% Max Health damage can get pretty high in the late game, but I think the +25% initial damage makes up for it
    
  
  
• Changed the Templar's Smite. The damage is no longer capped against Bosses but the overall damage has been reduced. Here's a breakdown of the ability:
  
  • Deals 75% Spell Damage, increased by 20% 15% of the Target's Maximum Mana (against Bosses this cannot exceed 25% of their Maximum Mana)
    
  • Upgrade: +15% +10% Maximum Mana Damage
    
  • Notes: There's few spells that have unique restrictions against bosses and I felt the player should be rewarded for picking the Templar by allowing them to more easily dispatch mage enemies and especially mage bosses. Even though the mana multiplier is reduced it will be able to deal more damage to bosses
    

Buffs

• Increased the Duelist's Assault second upgrade Mana Cost reduction to 15 from 10
  
• Increased the Dragon Slayer's Bloody Death second upgrade Attention gain to 250 from 100
  

Nerfs

• Increased the minimum cost of the Berserker's Collateral Damage to 50 from 35
  
• Increased the minimum cost of the White Mage's Energy Blast to 25 from 5
  
• Reduced the Dragon Slayer's Offensive Stance infinite Bonus Damage gain per level to 2 from 3
  
• Reduced the Knight's On Guard infinite Damage Reduction per level to 2% from 2.5%
  
• Reduced the Shaman's Deep Chant second upgrade Heal on each party member to 25% Maximum Health from 35%
  
• Made the Ninja's Shroud Stab infinite a Debuff instead of an invisible passive effect applied to enemies at the start of combat. This means the effect can be resisted from enemies' Debuff Resist
  
• Prevented the Shield Wall's passive, Absorption Shield, from negating the Health cost of Overshield
  
• Reduced the Gatekeeper's Ascended Form Damage Reduction to 35% from 50%
  

Known Issues

• There seems to be an issue with enemy generation if you play the game for a long time. I've gotten reports of the game attempting to generate multiple enemies but there only being one in the combat room with the game throwing an error. I'm trying to figure out where this issue is stemming from
  

To-Do

• Repair Room. This room will allow you repair your items, removing negative conditions or applying positive ones. This room will also allow you to upgrade your item rarities, for a price of course! This will allow for your items to have better multipliers than they otherwise could get from spawning naturally
  
• Run modifiers. I want to add some optional modifiers to make the game more interesting. Maybe something like permadeath or persistent buffs/debuffs to make any given run easier/harder for the player
  
• Change the way enemies level up. Right now they are always the level of your party members, but I feel this makes the experience multiplier worthless. An idea I have floating around is giving the enemies a set pool of experience based on your run length and current floor, not affected by your experience multiplier. This would mean you could curve faster than enemies, which will make the experience multiplier a stat you will actually need to take care of if you want to get ahead
  
• Re-add inventory sorting and quick-destroy options
  
• As I put in more enemies and more spells, I get a better understanding of what my code is capable of. I want to make spells that are extremely dynamic and unique for each class. I'd like to spend some time going through older classes I've made and see if they could use any sort of tweaking to bring them up to my current standards