Cross of Auria News

The Sha'ri Desert will be home to Halloween themed enemies until mid November. Until then, enemies with fire attacks in this zone will drop Blazing Candy which can be used to forge a powerful new magic ability for the team.

Skill highlight: Enraging Flames
"Unleash a radical fire burst. Cooldown: 2 turns."
Detail: Three-hit fire combo. 30MP.
Skill Power: (MAG * 5) per hit.
Learned by: Guide: Enraging Flames - synthesized in the Crafting menu once the boss of the area has been defeated.

Notes:
- Due to the lack of high powered weapons and armor available for the team, the event enemies have 1/10th the HP they would have normally had at level 50.
- Additionally, the event enemies will be scaled down in stats starting on Nov 5th, reducing the overall difficulty until it falls in line with Ruby's expected power at the Orc War's beginning.
- Defeating the boss "Bones'n'Knives" multiple times is possible, but will not yield useful items. The item required to access the Crafting menu only needs to be obtained once and is hidden so it can not be sold.
- Enemies respawn by leaving the area and coming back. There are 52 total enemies placed on the field including the boss.
- Permanent fixtures to Sha'ri Desert are currently unavailable. Some of the landscape is also not yet properly configured. Therefore, saving is restricted in this zone.
- There are no dramatic changes since 5.0.7 besides the event, so this version of the game will be referred to as 5.0.7x. When the event is over on Nov 14th, the version will once again display 5.0.7.
- The Gauntlet is under construction and is currently blocked off pending tests.


5.0.7x [Build #103-x, Release Date: October 31, 2021] Event:
- Level 50 Halloween themed enemies inhabit the newly opened Sha'ri Desert until November 14th, 2021.
-- Defeat the enraged enemy atop the central cliff for a new skill guide!
-- Once obtained, the guide can be created as many times as you need. However, the Blazing Candy will leave with the level 50 enemies on Nov 14th.

Known Issues:
- The Gauntlet is under construction and is inaccessible at this time.
- The level 50 Halloween enemies were created with the new level system which has already revealed a problem in its design. Between now and November 14th, the stats of these enemies will continue to be adjusted.
-- The problem is not the stat spread themselves, but rather the current access to high stat weapons and armor. Even at the highest levels, these enemies should prove extremely challenging.

Elvir comes from the mysterious pyromancer tribe of Sha'ri known as the Umvi. Every mage who would become Umvi dedicates their life to meditation and perfection of pyromancy. Blessed by the Great Statue of Hephaes, the Umvi have received their powers on loan from the Fire God himself. Unlike monsters found in the wild, they are not controlled by the elemental infusion and thus retain their free will.

Elvir has just completed his First Meditation at the Great Statue of Hephaes and returned home to find Sha'ri under siege by Oros and Dusk orcs. He is eager to put his new powers to the test.

Sha'ri is not fond of Lvellan or Aurian travelers. Since the scourge, Sha'ri has yet to receive visitors from Castalia.

Elvir: Class - Pyromancer Obtained at: Level 15
Skills learned by level-up:
Lv. 1 - Flame Shock (0MP/0TP) - 4x MAG ability with 10% chance to burn. As opposed to it's counterpart Arcane Shock II, Flame Shock does not add "Normal Attack" and therefore does not benefit from other elements and statuses equipped to Elvir.
Lv. 1 - Dualblaze (???MP) - Casts tier 1 Fire magic at a single enemy two times for one cost in a single action. 3 turn cooldown.
Lv. 1 - Firebolt (20MP) - Tier 1 Fire Magic (MAG * 4) - 30% burn chance, 7 TP gain
Lv. 1 - Fireball (30MP) - Tier 2 Fire Magic (MAG * 5) - 50% burn chance, 10 TP gain.
Lv. 1 - Eruption (???MP) - Area of Effect fire magic, dealing tier 1 (MAG * 4) fire damage to all enemies.
Lv. 18 - Pyrokinetics (???TP) - Adds Fire element and 25% ATK to a single ally or self.
Lv. 20 - Pyrocycle (100% MP, 100 TP) - Expends all MP to deal massive damage to a single target. Elvir is then removed from combat and replaced with the next character in the Formation line. Elvir must be at max MP to cast this.
Lv. 22 - Lava Burst (50MP) - Tier 3 Fire Magic (MAG * 6) - 76% burn chance.
Lv. 25 - Engulfing Flame (???MP/TP) - Charge for 1 turn, then deal damage on the next turn. 3 turn cooldown.
Lv. 30 - Searing Mana (100% current MP) - Spend all current MP to do damage multiplied by that number.
Lv. 33 - Explosion (???MP/TP) - Massive damage to a single target. Applies Knockout (KO) to self. 30 turn cooldown.
Lv. 43 Inferno (PREP) (70% Max MP, 100TP) - Mag Berserk to self. Freecasts Inferno (DMG) every turn until end of combat. Does not gain TP while freecasting. Additional damage based on luck (specific formula TBD)
Lv. 75 - Triblaze (???MP/TP) - Cast tier 2 power fire magic (MAG * 5) three times at a single target.

Notes:
- The name Elvir is a spin from the real person it's based on, whose online handle where I met him was "Elflord", "Elf" for short.
- Pyrocycle's coding is only usable for Elvir. No other unit in the game will have access to this ability.
- Pyrokinetics, Englufing Flame, Searing Mana, Explosion, Inferno, Flame Shock, Dualblaze, and Triblaze were all created specifically for Elvir's introduction. However, the programming of these skills allows them to be used by enemies in the future.
- If all allies are KO'd when Pyrocycle is used, a Game Over will occur during the moment where there is no 4th team member in Elvir's place.
- Details are subject to change before release.

Lore
- Elvir, like other Umvi, receives his fire-based powers on loan from Hephaes and does not naturally learn skills or magic of any other element.
- Like the other characters, Elvir can learn how to control other elements to a limited degree with the help of an item. This type of magic is classified with Flasks as "monster magicks". Monster magicks are kinetic in nature, as opposed to the Hephaes blessing which gave Elvir pyogenesis.

5.1.0 Preview
- Elvir is expected to be released with the 5.1.0 version of the game, following the introductions of Sha'ri Desert and City of Sha'ri.
- Sha'ri Desert will function like Shoreline and be accessible from the beginning of the game up to the current version. Sha'ri Desert is set to have a level 11-16 range in addition to the level 20-30 Oros & Dusk orcs. Before and after the Orc War events, the zone itself remains strictly level 11-16.
- Captain Reynolds in Shoreline/Port Reception will initiate the quest to head toward Sha'ri when this version is live.
- Sha'ri Desert will be the first zone in the game to feature unique enemies who do not have level variants. Only one of each type of enemy will be available.
- As of now, there are 12 enemies undergoing the creation progress to fill the Sha'ri Desert which will span across no more than 25 different battlegroups. These battlegroups will be used to fill wave 11-16 of the Gauntlet's floor 2.
- Like The Black Forest & Frost Forest, Sha'ri Desert's size will be relative to the amount of tiles it appears on the World Map. Additionally, like the former two zones' second versions, Sha'ri Desert will be released as a single enormous zone rather than the small screen-to-screen style of Den An'ura and other earlier dungeons.

This patch is 99% back-end information. For players, notable changes are:
- Shoreline now open during Orc War with 4 repeatable field troops. (Returning to the World Map triggers the respawn of these types of enemies)
- The first Tool Kit can be found inside Shoreline/Port Reception. This tool kit is not consumed on use and is required to break weapons and armor down into reusable parts. Weapons and armor obtained before their back-end information was updated to allow for disassembly can not be broken down. You can tell if an item can be broken down by going to your inventory (NOT the equip screen!) and selecting a piece of gear. "Upgrade" means you can add gems, "Disassemble" means it can be broken apart using a Tool Kit.
- Synthesis stations are now available, though are relatively unusable. It is possible to collect enough Oros Weapon and Armor parts from the four troops in Shoreline, but more troops will be coming with the next part of the Orc War story. The Oros-Bane set is a significant upgrade over anything the party could be wearing at this time. The purchase menu of the synthesis shop is visible even without the required materials - go check it out!

5.0.7 [Build #103, Release Date: October 18, 2021] Note:
- This patch is being released due to the changes in items which can now be disassembled. Weapons & Armor obtained before this patch will retain their previous properties. However, newly acquired gear will conform to their new database information. In short, a Basic Blade obtained before can't be disassembled, but one obtained now can.

Development Changes
- The way enemy stats are determined has been changed. The short explanation is - the old model used a fixed stat value based on a dice roll for each stat of the 10 enemy class designs and the new model uses a new dice roll every time a new enemy is added to the game. The result that players will see is that enemies of the same class and same level will have different stats moving forward to give enemies a more dynamic feel in their own level range.
- In addition to the new way ATK/DEF/MAG/MDF/LUK/AGI are handled, HP receives a boost on every 20th level up to level 100. The maximum HP the game is prepared to handle for an enemy is 999,999. Enemies whose HP exceedes that will begin battles with shields to make up the difference. There is a fair chance that we never get that far in development where we have to break the HP limit - and not all enemies who use shields have max HP. However, just like the other stats, HP per new enemy is rolled on a case by case basis using a new variable formula instead of a fixed point, so enemies of the same class at the same level but of a different species will have different HP, whereas previously they did not.
-- If the new system causes too many problems instead of making battles feel more dynamic, it will be removed. The time to remove the system will be significantly faster than the time it took to create as information from the previous system has been retained. All class data is contained in a Google Sheet outside of the game, and enemy stats are not rerolled in the engine or during gameplay. The change is as simple as referencing an already made Sheet and changing 7 numbers in the engine.
-- All enemies currently programmed into the game will retain their current stats.
-- New enemies level 20 and over will use the new dynamic system for a probationary period which will become permanent if I feel the system works and makes sense relative to the team's projected stats for each given level bracket.

New:
- Forging stations have been added to Lvell/Phoenix Ash, Auria/Research Shack, and Shoreline/Port Reception. This system will be used to create gear from enemy drops. For now, all forging stations will allow access to the same Synthesis menu.
- Oros-Bane (225-point) & Duskfall (242-point) are now available for Synthesis! Required items come from level 20+ Oros and Dusk orcs.
- Though the next step of the questline is not yet ready, Shoreline and Port Reception are now open during the Orc War event.

Changes:
- "Unremarkable" now means that a piece of gear has no extra hidden parameters, such as target rate, regeneration, damage types or resistances, etc. Specifically, it means that an item has exactly 0 extra properties besides it stat boosts. However, items which do not say "Unremarkable" but also do not specify what their perks are does not imply that they do not have perks, but rather the text space for filling in what the perks are is too small or that the perks are hidden.
-- Example: Flamewind Cloak increases Hit Rate and Evasion Rate by 1% each, adds 20% Fire and Wind resistances, and reduces Ice and Poison resistances by 5%. Some of this information can be found on the Elements page of the Status menu on any given character, but the Hit Rate and Evasion would be considered hidden as it is not visible in any of the menus.
-- Only new gear obtained will be affected by this change. Already owned gear will show the previous tooltips.
- Shatter no longer adds chance to land bleeds - this debuff was removed in a previous patch. Instead, shatter now does 3x atk dmg (up from 2x) and is considered Stone-Killer type instead of Earth type. (-killer type attacks are considered non-elemental to all types other than their intended targets. Intended targets take 200% damage instead). The tooltip for this skill has been fixed, but may only be visible to new save files or players newly acquiring the skill.
- The following items can now be disassembled: Flamewind Set, Tattered Set, Tattered Gray Set, Bone Band, Snow Band, Oros Band, Coal Band, Sticky Gloves, Rusty Set, Torn Set, Mech Shield, Snow Shield.
- Weapons and Armor will no longer disassemble into Frames or Patterns. These items can instead be purchased at a new vendor inside Lvell/Cafe Lvellan and the vendor on the right in Auria/Market Town.

The first floor of the Gauntlet is ready to go! Rather than talk about it, I'll just let you go in and see for yourself. The Gauntlet is in the same building where the Pit used to be in the Ruins of Agartha.

Defeating the boss at the end of the first floor will yield a special prize. Choose wisely!

Battlefront development is also ongoing.

5.0.6 [Build #102, Release Date: September 17, 2021] Bugs to look for: Report them as a comment to the most recent patch notes or post them directly on the CoA channels using the invite link above!
- Ruby should change costume upon entering or exiting the Battlefront area.
- Gauntlet battles should return to level 1 after failing or manually exiting and returning to the area unless the boss has been defeated.

New:
- A new event has taken the place of the Pit in the Hall of Challengers! Currently, the Gauntlet goes up to level 10. As more enemy troops are added to the world, more levels of the Gauntlet will become available.
-- Once the boss has been defeated, the floor can not be repeated.
-- It is not possible to Game Over within the Gauntlet event.
-- Menu access is restricted once the event begins.
-- The Record Book now tracks consecutive wins of the Gauntlet instead of the defunct Pit. This will become more of an achievement later as the number of battles to clear each tier increase.
-- In addition to falling in combat and escaping from battle, simply talking to the event host will allow Ruby to exit the Gauntlet. Once exited, the current floor is reset and the Record Book tally is stopped. Re-entering the Gauntlet starts the consecutive counter back to 0.
-- The entire Hall of Challengers is Save Restricted pending further construction.
-- Pit Coins begin to drop starting after the third tier. Additional coin drops are added on the sixth and again on the ninth tier.
-- Enemy clouds roll for which Troop to battle from a group of up to 3 potential options. Enemy clouds do not share exact data with one another regarding these options. These Troops are pulled directly from other zones in the world in accordance with the tier level (example: tier 7 will have primarily level 7 enemies).

Battlefront:
- Warrior Ruby may no longer enter the Battlefront. Instead, when Ruby goes through the building, she becomes Expedition Leader Ruby.
-- Expedition Leader Ruby starts at level 1 and has access via level up to some of Warrior Ruby's usual skills.
-- Skills learned exclusively by Expedition Leader Ruby inside Battlefront zones are not shared with her Warrior class. Conversely, skills learned exclusively by Warrior Ruby outside the Battlefront are not shared with the Expedition Leader class.
-- Items which allow for skills to be learned may be used by any party member at any time, even outside the Battlefront areas.
- It is now possible to game over within the Battlefront zones.
- Battlefront zones now have a set of random encounters in addition to the visible field enemies.
- It is not possible to escape from battles with the on-the-map enemies. However, random encounters can be escaped.
- KO'd characters will only escape at the end of turn in battle or when Ruby returns to the exit. They will not escape if the battle is won before the end of the turn in which they were KO'd.
- Battlefront chests have some chance to be empty when looted. However, as randomized chests, they will continue to re-roll every time Ruby leaves the area and comes back for another chance to be looted.
- Blk. Mage, Rogue, & Barbarian skill trees updated.
- First Wht. Mage is now available in the 4th zone.

Changes:
- Changed tooltip for Swift Kick, Avoidance, Backstab, Charge, and Sharpen.
- Swift Kick now adds 10 to attack speed, up from 5.
Notes:
- Battlefront classes will only move to the updated skill tree after being intialized (KO'd and then re-purchased).

I intended to release the new event with this update, but I discovered something broken which prompted an immediate fix. Here's what we have so far:

5.0.5 [Build #101, Release Date: September 07, 2021] Bugs to look for: Report them as a comment to the most recent patch notes or post them directly on the CoA channels using the invite link above!
- Due to the back end enemy and troop position change, some battles may result in an auto-win due to there being no enemies. Please report this issue ASAP!

New:
- The Halloween Event from 2020 has been reopened in the Colosseum! The rift and corresponding vendor will appear after Ruby's third story-related trip to the Veil.

Fixes:
- Halloween Event vendor and item no longer spawn before Ruby's third Veil visit.
- Fixed an issue where Alex would prevent Ruby from challenging the Oros Orcs in the Ruins of Alpha/Upper Level.
- Enemy Skill: Cheer now correctly targets all allies instead of a single enemy.
- Repaired the Regeneration I event in Hell's Gate to account for new outfits and properly allow Alex to learn the skill. Additionally, the Overcharged Dissector no longer knows Cauterize.

Changes:
- The Pit has been permanently closed and all associated data has been removed. This change in direction for the event is to reduce the amount of data for lesser quality enemies and troops. The event which will take its place will use troops which already exist throughout the world.
- Layout of Hall of Challengers has been changed to represent the new event.
- Changed the back end positioning and arrangement of enemies and troops for Den An'ura and Scarlet Cavern. Additionally, changed the zones in which specific enemies appear.
- Reactivated random encounters in Agartha.
- Fieldspawn orcs are now level 9.
- Changed the Alpha Orc event to require level 10 instead of 20.
- Added locked doors to the unfinished houses in Alpha/Entry.

Known Issues:
- If the party completed the Regeneration I quest, Alex will know an empty skill. When this skill data is eventually filled in, Alex will know it automatically. A checkpoint to remove this skill will be placed somewhere along the main story. This issue will not happen for players who have not yet completed the quest.

Notes:
- Regeneration I is a discoverable event in Hell's Gate after the third trip to the Veil.
- A path to the Oros platoon in Alpha/Entry opens once the Orc War starts. The ability to explore Alpha/Entry is contingent on progressing the Rabbit's Foot questline on the previous day.
- As long as Amaya is in the party, the quest in the Black Forest can be completed.