The Dwarves of Glistenveld News

[p][/p][p]Fellow dwarves! Good news and bad news! Bad news is we can now sustain wounds that require a full rest to recover. Good news, so can our opponents, and we've designed a new sturdier armour to protect us! Oh and we can finally fit through doors without brushing our arms...[/p][h2]Patch Notes[/h2][h3]The big stuff:[/h3]

1. [p]Iron Platemail - Previously both iron weapons and armour existed in a single tech. Iron armour has now been moved to its own tier 3 tech, with a new addition: Platemail. Platemail offers more defence but slows the dwarf's movement. Obsidian helmets are also coming with this update, requiring both obsidian and fire shards to make, and offers resistance to fire damage such as the attacks from fire elements or wurms.[/p][p][/p]
2. [p]Critical Wounds - Battle is getting a little more dangerous as critical hits now pack a punch! A crit (scoring a hit immediately after an opponent fumbles) now has the potential to cause one of five wounds: Blinded, Concussed, Disarmed, Hobbled or Winded, or deal a death blow! Wounds (with the exception of Disarmed) last until the unit has fully rested. The likelihood of a more severe crit is based on the combat and overall levels of the attacker and defender. There will be more info on this in the in-game guide.[/p][p][/p]
3. [p]Skirmish Mode - The configuration for skirmish mode has received a small overhaul, rearranging and adding a new feature: Presets. We ran out of time to fully flesh out presets, but our plan eventually is to allow you to create your own! New saves will also show more details about your chosen game in the Save UI, which applies to campaign and caverns mode as well.[/p][p][/p]
4. [p]By-laws Update - The By-laws UI has received 3 new by-laws to configure: Food rations, and how much health/stamina may be lost before going to rest autonomously. If your food supplies are low, reduce the rations! If you have more than enough warriors, rest often and stay healthy![/p][p][/p]
5. [p]Doors Redrawn - After reading feedback about our doors, we went back to the drawing board, and faced the challenge of fitting round objects through hexagonal spaces, and we're glad for it! Doors now properly fit the dimensions of dwarves! They've also changed position (central to the hex), so your existing doors from previous saves will remain as they are, until you move or rebuild them. [/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]The small stuff:[/p]

1. [p]Campaign Updates - Chapter 1 has received a number of updates including most maps seeing a new side-quest. We've learned a lot about world-building since we started this project, and have started applying this knowledge to the original levels of the campaign. More updates like this to come![/p]
2. [p]Stat Bars - Health, stamina and hunger bars will look a little different, now segmented into units of 50 (for dwarves, goblins etc) or 100 for buildings. If a dwarf has 100 health, their health bar will have 2 segments. This should make it easier to intuit how much of a stat someone has.[/p]
3. [p]Show HUD Abilities - The Show Keybinds key (Alt by default) now also reveals each dwarf's equipment and abilities above their heads, to serve as a quick overview of who you have where.[/p]
4. [p]New & Modified Traits - Arachnophobic and Necrophobic are two new traits. Dwarves with these traits will have reduced attack against spiders or draugr respectively, and become panicked near them. We've also modified the Socialist & Loner traits. They no longer work slower when not around their preferred social quota, but instead stamina simply drains quicker. [/p]
5. [p]Bedrolls Tech - Now includes a buildable campfire that provides nearby sleepers with the Sound-asleep trait, recovering stamina and health quicker. Previously this buff would only apply if you had as many beds as dwarves, which is still the case, however the campfire provides another way.[/p]
6. [p]Enemy Drops - Wurms now drop meat when killed, with higher drop rate based on level. Elementals will also drop elemental shards, which will be used more in a future patch. For now, you can use them to craft gems at the Stonecutter (requiring one of each type). Also, draugr now retain their former level after resurrecting from heads, making them even more formidable![/p]
7. [p]Foot-trails - As units repeatedly tread over the same patch of dirt, they will start to leave trails behind. This is not only a visual cue to help you identify where to place cobblestone paths, but helps indicate where enemies might have been.[/p]
8. [p]Caverns Mode Fixes - We noticed a number of different bugs in caverns mode, including 'Distant Clans' option no longer taking effect. To receive these fixes, you'll need to start a new game.[/p]
9. [p]Bed Priorities - Beds used to have restrictions, allowing you to ban certain classes or traits from particular beds. We have flipped this logic and instead of restricting, you can now set priorities. This means any bed will still be used if no priority beds are available or close by.[/p][p][/p]
10. [p]Ability Buffs - Track-Runner, Tunnel-Whisperer, Back-Breaker and Reconstruction abilities have been buffed. Track-Runner now also applies while standing on cobblestone, Reconstruction is more likely to take effect and now works on goblin buildings, Tunnel-Whisper works for thicker walls and Back-Breaker attacks now properly count as crits and can cause wounds.[/p]
11. [p]Behavioural AI Bugs - Fixed some bugs including an occasional loop of picking up meals and dropping them again. Also setting specific units for instruction zones would occasionally be scrambled when saving & loading.[/p]
12. [p]When choosing equipment for your dwarves, clicking the equipment slot now also provides an option to consume it (if consumable), instead of relying on 'force eat'.[/p]
13. [p]Performance Improvements - We've made improvements to performance for various elements, including the marker radius for support posts, runestones etc, and when zooming fully out.[/p]
14. [p]Feedback Form - We no longer ask for email, and instead provide an option to automatically send us a snapshot save-state of your current game. This should help us track down some of the more elusive bugs. We are also now able to respond to feedback in-game with a popup dialog. We won't be responding to all feedback in this way, but we wanted to be able to communicate two ways without requiring personal information.[/p]
15. [p]Demo Improvements - We've also received reports of a number of issues with the Demo, so that has also seen some attention, and has been updated to the same build.[/p]

[p]We have tinkered with quite a lot in this update, including core systems, so older saves may experience some issues we hadn't accounted for. However, we ask that you continue to report any issues you encounter, as we will work quickly to resolve them. The upcoming Halloween patch will mostly see bug fixes as we continue to focus on chapter 3.[/p]

[h3]🐰Easter Mode🐰[/h3]
Hope you're ready for the hunt as Easter Mode is enabled (until April. 30th)!
In Easter Mode, you will experience the following changes to the game:

1. Atmosphere - The environment has a different look and feel.
   
2. Mobbits - Mobbits are larger than normal, and provide more meat!
   
3. Easter Eggs - You will find easter eggs sprawled about everywhere, even hidden in the walls! You can harvest easter eggs using the gather instruction, and they can be stored on tables similar to meals. How many can you find? (Find out at the bottom of the Stats window)
   
4. Map Tables - Among other resources, Map Tables will be able to highlight any nearby Easter eggs in your minimap!
   
5. Pet Mobbits - It's what you've all been waiting for! Collecting 50 easter eggs in a level will earn you a pet mobbit!
   

[h2]Patch Notes[/h2]
[h3]The big stuff:[/h3]

1. Clan Creation Menu - Clan creation has moved to its own section in the main menu. Now, instead of creating a new clan each time you start a new game, you create a clan first, which you can then play with in all 3 main modes: campaign, skirmish and caverns modes!
   
2. Clan Creation - We've also added 2 new features to clan creation. A description area where you can write lore about your clan, and a starting technology for you to choose. Now when you play new games in the campaign, skirmish or caverns modes, you start with your chosen tech already unlocked. We hope this enables for more personality to the clans you create. Both options have a default value, so if you just want to skip through and jump into the game you still can.
   
3. Brewery - This new tech unlocks the brewing of beer! Root beer can be drunk by your dwarves to restore stamina, a small amount of hitpoints, and makes them drunk! Dwarves can take Root Beers with them just like meals.
   
4. Instruction List - A new management UI will now appear in the list when you click the Dwarf icon in the Instruction Panel (bottom-left), the same way you can open the Dwarf List and By Laws. Rather than listing all your dwarves, this UI lists all the clan instructions you currently have, grouped by type. From there you can open any respective assignment UI and assign/prioritise/remove any instruction you see fit.
   
5. Battle-Hold - A new type of hold button, next to the regular hold button. While the hold button is supposed to hold a dwarf in place, the battle-hold won't hold them still, but instead prevents them from performing any action other than attacking enemies and fleeing to recover hitpoints. This should help allow a bit more autonomy during assaults with larger groups of units.
   
6. Storage Signposts - A new building that helps your dwarves correctly prioritise storage. In cases where players want to build multiple separated bases, priority storage was an issue. You may have observed a dwarf walking across the map to deliver items miles away. Now their range is limited to 20 tiles, but this can be extended by building signposts, that connect regions of storage together.
   
7. Storage Auto-Collect - A new button allows you to toggle a group of connected storage to automatically assign pickup instructions when they become full. This is mostly useful for minecart drop-off points. Note: You can set this option for food barrels and tables as well.
   

The small stuff:

1. Potpies - Along with unlocking root beer, the Brewery tech also allows you to cook up a new type of meal: Potpies! By combining a regular meal with root beer, potpies gain the effects of both for that extra kick!
   
2. Tables now use the same system as food barrels for prioritising specific meal / potion types, for easier setting.
   
3. Storage Arrangements - New button 'Apply to Neighbours' makes it easier to change a group of storage from one type of arrangement to another. When switching the first storage, click Apply to Neighbours and any connected storage that had the same previous arrangement will be changed. This functions like a paint-bucket tool.
   
4. Storage Priority - The new behaviour surrounding storage signposts replaces the priority numbers in storage arrangements. Instead priority is determined simply by how restrictive the storage is. A storage that only allows 1 type of item will be prioritised over one that allows 2 or 3, which will also be prioritised over one that allows more.
   
5. Assignment UI - In the case of building and supply instructions, using this UI to tell dwarves to prioritise something immediately now applies to the specific building selected, rather than the instruction as a whole like other types of instruction.
   
6. Eating & Resting - Fixed some confused dwarf behaviour, most notably when both food and rest are needed.
   
7. Radius Markers - When selecting or placing buildings that have a functional radius (such as support posts, map tables or the new storage signposts), all buildings of that type now mark a collective perimeter, so you can see the total coverage! This also applies when hovering over their respective build buttons in the instruction panel.
   
8. New Setting - New setting under Gameplay that allows you to configure what a dwarf does when they first spawn from a spring. Do they immediately go rest and eat? Or do they wait for your instruction?
   
9. Various other fixes & improvements, including minecart behaviour, losing/ignoring 'move building' instructions, and roots sometimes appearing invisible when buried in a wall.
   

That's all for now, stay safe and Happy Easter!

Fix for rendering issue when hovering over minecarts / other vehicles
Fix for long saving time in large maps and engineers getting stuck using forges

[h3]🎄Christmas Mode🎄[/h3]
Glistenveld is getting wintery as Christmas Mode is enabled (until Jan. 7th)!
In Christmas Mode, you will experience the following changes to the game:

1. Atmosphere - The place is looking wintery with a change of colour palette and mist!
   
2. Christmas Roots - Roots have now been decorated with Christmas lights! Unfortunately there are no blink patterns you can change...
   
3. Presents - Random presents will appear in each map, some buried in cave walls to be mined out, others in water to be fished for and some just laying around! Each contains one of six small random gifts!
   
4. Chests - Chests are now decorated as 'locked' presents!
   
5. Snowprints - All units will leave prints in the frosty dirt, giving you insight into their habits!
   

[h2]Patch Notes[/h2]
[h3]The big stuff:[/h3]

1. Iron Weapons - For now these reside in the Iron Armour tech, but you will be able to craft Battleaxes, Warhammers and Halberds for your warriors! The battleaxe deals bonus bleeding damage, the warhammer stuns and knocks enemies back, and the halberd has a 2 tile reach! We have yet to decide where to put these in the tech tree, so enjoy the overpowered Iron Armour tech until then!
   
2. Caverns Mode - A new version has been released featuring: Lava caves! Complete with a new enemy, new resources, and various fixes and improvements for the mode. We want to keep the lava caves mysterious, so no further details will be provided!
   
3. Configurable beds - Beds can now be configured to disallow particular dwarves from resting in them, based on class or trait. Want to separate those noisy-nostrils from the group? Well now you can!
   
4. Dwarf-list UI - To help you manage your clan, instead of only being able to see levels & abilities, there are now 2 new views: Equipment & Traits! Also improved description of current activity in Abilities view, and selected dwarves will now be highlighted here as well!
   
5. Battles - Besides fixing a number of bugs relating to dealing crits and damage in general, the icons for block, parry, dodge & fumble have been improved and other icons like 'hold' or stat labels have been made less intrusive during combat.
   
6. Skirmish - Various improvements including more fish in regions like Mines, and a fix for the chaotic pathing style occasionally getting stuck.
   
7. Instruction panel UI - Minecarts and tracks have been moved into the Resources tab, since their role is to cart resources around. Infrastructure buildings have been better lined up so alternate or similar buildings appear in the same place on the next page.
   
8. Resistances - There are many types of damage or effects in the game: bleed, frenzy, fire, knockback, and we've finalised our design on enemy resistances. Currently you'll have to use trial and error to identify them, but we'll work on making this clearer in a future patch. If you guys like how another game conveys this information, feel free to share!
   
9. Map Tables - You can now inspect the traits of any enemies within the radius of your map tables, allowing you to take more strategic action against them!
   
10. Ruins Music - New music has been added for ruins regions in all modes and during waves in Stronghold Defence!
    

The small stuff:

1. Items - More picking up & dropping item animations. Fun fact: this uses the same code that enables NPC dwarves to jump gaps in the campaign. We spawn item particles that jump to the Dwarf's location!
   
2. Prioritising instructions - Until now dwarves that were hungry would ignore you when you tell them to prioritise a build and go eat instead. Although this behaviour makes sense, we felt it would be better if they performed the build anyway, but received the Aggravated trait instead.
   
3. Storage arrangements - Any storage you own with arrangements set now have little signposts with an asterisk, to help distinguish between global and specialised storage.
   
4. UI improvements - The recipe popup when hovering over items to craft now features a description of what that item is for. Stats & Accomplishments UI now have icons for each of the statistics. Dwarf-list and other scroll-type UI, as well as the tech-tree, now have a subtle opening animation and SFX. When any building is claimed a dashed border will now appear around it; this used to only happen with items. Double clicking a building that is being claimed will centre view and highlight the dwarf that is claiming it.
   
5. Sneaky goblins - Some goblins will feature a new trait which makes them a little stealthy!
   
6. Item piles - Some items in storage will now appear in a more organised, sensible manner.
   
7. Antidote Potion - This wasn't being consumed automatically when encountering green gas or draugr frenzy cry.
   
8. AI logic improvements - Engineers were claiming entire piles of items for crafting, preventing other engineers from working similar jobs if items were not well distributed. Dwarves with nothing to do were still holding onto items instead of putting them away. Held units when told to interact with something would invariably stand on top of it, rather than next to it. Dwarves will now search for meals within a larger radius between jobs. When assigning equipment to dwarves, they will now search across a much larger radius.
   
9. AI performance - AI for mobbits, spiders and goblins were doing some naughty things and overloading the pathfinder in some circumstances!
   
10. Rendering performance - We've been finding various areas to improve performance, such as unnecessary animation changes off-screen, piles of items being rendered one item at a time etc, though still more work needs doing on this front!
    
11. Various other fixes & improvements, including mushrooms not responding to changes in moisture until harvested, and improved rendering of the save/load previews.
    

That's all for now, stay safe and Happy Holidays!