Monomyth News

[p]Hi, dungeon-crawling fans![/p][p][/p][p]I have just uploaded the intermediate patch EA2.5.0a to the test branch.[/p][p][/p][p]To access the test branch:[/p]

• [p]Right click Monomyth's library entry -> Properties -> Betas [/p]
• [p]Under "Beta Participation", select "testing - Public testing branch"[/p]

[p][/p][p]This patch introduces various QoL improvements (such as an on-screen map), adds gore effects, and overhauls the player kick.[/p][p]It is now possible to decapitate most enemies without head or neck protection. There is also full-body gibbing.[/p][p]Kicking now causes enemies to ragdoll. This also led to some changes in the encounter design. I have added (conveniently placed) spikes and open fires to the environment. These can be used during combat.[/p][p]Short Preview[/p][p][/p][p]Naturally, these additions drastically affect encounter balance, which will have to be adjusted in an ongoing manner during future patches.[/p][p]It was important for me to push these changes before Beta 3. That way, I can immediately integrate the new gameplay-related elements into the new area.[/p][p][/p][p]Anyway, here is a full list of the changes:[/p][p]* Added new Lysandrian Guard design[/p][p]* Added plate armor[/p][p]* Kicks with plate boots now deal extra damage[/p][p]* Levelling skills will now correctly update the critical hit chance[/p][p]* Added toggleable minimap (default key: M)[/p][p]* The mouse cursor is now a little gauntlet[/p][p]* Kicks adjusted for multiple/nearby objects[/p][p]* Kick range slightly increased[/p][p]* Kicks will now make enemies stagger[/p][p]* Movement penalty on player attacks removed[/p][p]* Adjusted center of mass for crates and barrels[/p][p]* Lowered ragdoll intensity on NPC death[/p][p]* Standardized weapon range slightly increased[/p][p]* Standardized hit radius increased[/p][p]* Melee hits should be more precise now[/p][p]* Enemies will now parry and block attacks[/p][p]* Enemy kicks will stagger the player[/p][p]* Player kicks can now activate ragdolling[/p][p]* Enemies can now be kicked into spikes[/p][p]* Enemies can now be set on fire[/p][p]* Enemies will flee when set on fire[/p][p]* Fixed bug that would nullify status effects[/p][p]* Knocked down enemies will now receive fall damage[/p][p]* Added a hint for the teleporter puzzle in the second royal grave[/p][p]* Added environment hazards to several areas[/p][p]* Zombies can no longer be killed with normal means[/p][p]* The beggar in Lower Lysandria now removes the correct amount of gold from the player's inventory[/p][p]* Flaming Hands now has a chance to set NPCs on fire[/p][p][/p][p]I might make some further adjustments before pushing this to the main branch. [/p][p]I'll keep you updated![/p][p][/p][p]Best wishes,[/p][p]Michael[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p]Hi, dungeon-crawling fans![/p][p]This month, I only have a very brief update for you, but I think some will appreciate the content all the more. With patch EA2.0.1a Monomyth finally has proper gamepad support. You can find out all about it in this month's video devlog:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]As always, you can find the transcript below.[/p][p]Best wishes,[/p][p]Michael[/p][p]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/p][p]Hi, dungeon-crawling fans![/p][p]It is summer! The temperatures are rising but Monomyth’s development continues. It’s been a bit more than a month since beta version 2 was pushed to the main branch and it’s time for another update![/p][p]During the last month I mostly focused on reworking gamepad controls.[/p][p]With the exception of some text boxes, Monomyth can now be fully controlled with a standard XBox controller or equivalent. A bug that caused unresponsive gamepad controls has been fixed. All tutorial texts have been complemented with gamepad and keyboard glyphs. I have also added a few tooltips to immediately show context specific controls to players. PS4 and 5 controller support is unfortunately not natively functional in Unreal Engine unless you are a Playstation verified developer and have the respective plugins. However there are emulation options out there that let you use your Playstation controller on Windows PC, respectively in Unreal Engine games without the said plugin.[/p][p]Additionally there have been a few fixes concerning 16:10 resolutions. So the game can now also be played on the Steam Deck without problems.[/p][p]The gamepad layout preset for Steam Deck has been adjusted to match the current gamepad setup. In case you have set a different layout manually in the past, the matching one is the “Gamepad with camera controls” layout. In the current version of the game, the mouse cursor is moved with the analog sticks.[/p][p]A few things, like full Steam API integration for the virtual keyboard, still have to be tackled. I’ll probably do this in another sprint.[/p][p]I have also spent some time on sound design. I only have very little knowledge in that field so I limited myself to three minor soundtracks you can now hear in some of the subareas of the game.[/p][p]I also fixed several small bugs. Among other things the critical hit chance should be correctly updated after levelling your character now and right clicking textboxes will no longer open a context menu[/p][p]In the following month I will mostly focus on preparing beta update 3. I’ll probably continue with some performance optimizations I already started some time ago. As I already mentioned the area itself is basically done. The main focus will be on polishing and proper integration with the rest of the game.[/p][p]I will also look into cloudsaves in the coming days. So if you have any save files on different devices, it might be a good idea to create a backup of these files. Under windows you can find the save files in %LOCALAPPDATA%\\ProjectAriath\\Saved\\SaveGames (I’ll copy that into the video description)[/p][p]And that is already it for this month.[/p][p]As always I will keep you updated and see you soon![/p]

[p]Hi, dungeon-crawling fans![/p][p]I just moved patch EA2.0.1a to the default branch. It features numerous improvements related to Steam Deck compatibility, fixes for 16:10 resolutions, and significant enhancements to gamepad controls. Here is the full changelog:[/p][p][/p][p]-Version EA2.0.1a (26.06.2025)[/p][p]* Fixed unresponsive/unfocused buttons in menu navigation via gamepad[/p][p]* Added three minor sub-area soundtracks[/p][p]* Adjusted the gamepad layout preset (Steam Deck)[/p][p]* Adjusted the main menu for 16:10 screens[/p][p]* Fixed a bug in gamepad controls that would re-open containers after taking all items from them[/p][p]* Added gamepad controls overview[/p][p]* Added gamepad/keyboard glyphs to tutorial texts[/p][p]* Right-clicking textboxes will no longer open a context menu[/p][p]* Fixed gamepad freeze on exit prompt[/p][p]* Fixed item dropping bug on looting container[/p][p]* Added tooltips[/p][p][/p][p]The game should be fully playable with a gamepad/Steam Deck now. The only missing features are an automatic virtual keyboard for textboxes (you can open one manually through the Steam button on your Steam Deck) and a few special grips for things like opening the journal. [/p][p]I'll add these in another sprint in the future. For now, I will focus again on preparing Beta 3.[/p][p][/p][p]Until then, have fun and best wishes![/p][p]Michael[/p][p][/p]

Hi, dungeon-crawling fans!

It's been a while, and a project update is long overdue! At the same time, I am pleased to announce that beta version 2 is now on the main branch. You can find out all about it in the latest devlog:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Unfortunately, delays like this are a risk in solo projects, but I am confident that now the development will proceed much more smoothly. Below, you can find the full patch notes as well as the video transcript

See you soon!

Michael

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-Version EA2.0.0e (29.05.2025)
* Added a major new area (Lysandrian Mines)
* Added two minor areas
* Expanded main story and quests
* Added new enemy types
* Added environmental audio cues
* Unlocked final two sections of mines
* Added new model for hostile miners
* Added Beta 2 main menu
* The mines now contain more secrets
* Added animated waypoints / new NPC idle animations
* Reworked connection between Lysandria and the mines
* Reworked lava slime combat actions
* Reworked miner combat actions
* Reworked fishing spots in the mines
* Fixed a bug that prevented fishing in the mines
* NPCs should no longer step into camp fires
* Teleporting to the mines should now place the character in the correct spot
* Fixed a bug that would duplicate items in the factory's furnace
* It is now possible to smelt multiple pieces of ore at once
* Teleporter runes should be noted in the journal again
* Various small bugfixes
* Fixed a bug in the furnace that might occur while saving
* Adjusted difficulty of multiple encounters in the mines
* Added underwater details
* Fixed various NPC names
* Bandits should relocate correctly again after finishing the farm quest
* Fixed various lighting issues

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Hi dungeon-crawling fans!

It’s been way too long and a project update is long overdue!

First of all, let me appologize for the massive delay in development over the last few months. Unfortunately a few things came up that required my immediate attention and that stalled most progress. It is an unfortunate risk in solo projects. Now things are largely resolved and I have been back to developing Monomyth for a few weeks.

You may have noticed that at the beginning of last month I uploaded Beta 2 to the test branch. A few issues still remain but it’s going to the main branch today. So let’s go through all the new content and how we will continue from here on out.

For the most part, Beta 2 became a full rebuild of the game’s second area. The mines were original meant to be restructured, however, the complex vertical layout made a useful restructuring relatively hard and there was no guarantee that the map would work much better as a game environment afterwards.
Therefore I settled with a full recreation of the area, taking over only various concepts and minor sections. I rebuilt the region by the standardized workflow that I have talked about in previous devlogs, and just to put your mind at ease in advance: The third region of the game was already made with that workflow in mind, so there won’t be any restructuring or rebuilding there. It will be brushed up, improved in various parts like collision and whatnot, but that’s it.



But for now, let’s take a look at what’s in the new mines.

The mines themselves are a map that consists of 25 subsections. Scale-wise it is exactly as big as the heartlands, however, there are more individual rooms in it. Besides the mines one additional mini-dungeon and the catacombs, from the demo, have been integrated into the game. The main quests now stretch over both major areas, and while parts of it are not mandatory, you’ll probably stumble over them if you carefully explore.

There are also a few new enemy types, most importantly spellcasters and their servants. Talking of spellcasting, new echo stones can be found in the new area as well.



The mines are well integrated with the original areas and you can easily reach them through teleportation, given that you know the right rune combinations. Technically you can finish the mines even before the heartlands - I made sure that the game could be finished in a non-sequential manner. However, you will have to know the game well and pull off a few tricks to actually make that work.
There have been a few aesthetic changes to existing areas as well. One of the more noticeable are probably the new idle animations for NPCs. Until now the inhabitants of Lysandria would all use the same pose. With the new update you can find them arguing, squatting, crossing their arms, praying, etc.



Another small feature I added are unique environmental audio cues. Some of you may remember this from the Thief series. Whenever you enter a specific section for the first time you’ll get an audio cue, which adds quite a bit to the atmosphere and draws your attention to important locations. I have added this in both the mines and the heartlands.

As far as the fishing goes, you can catch new fish in the mines. Most of them have unique effects depending on whether you consume them cooked or uncooked.

Lastly there have also been plenty of bug fixes and small adjustments in combat encounters. I am trying to expand enemy abilities organically with the normal progression through the game. Of course balancing will have to be reworked once all content has been introduced

So how do we continue from here on out? We are obviously behind time and it’s questionable how much sense it makes to push for another spring update, which would have to be out until mid-june the latest. It is probably more realistic to just shift the original update plan by one season, so the spring update becomes a summer update and the summer update becomes an autumn update.

Alternatively I could imagine bundling beta update 3 and 4 into a single bigger update. As mentioned before, the area of beta update 3 is largely done. It requires polishing, some itemization, performance optimizations and so on. The geometry is completely done, the main quest is fully implemented, etc. What’s not done yet, however, is the area for beta update 4, so that would be another big chunk of work. I guess it all depends on the feedback in the coming weeks and I’ll see what makes more sense timewise.

There are also some small, intermediate updates that I wanted to spend some time on, especially regarding enhanced steam deck support and some character aesthetics. We will have to see how that ideally fits into the schedule as well.

Anyway, beta update 2 is now on the main branch and I hope you’ll have fun playing and testing it. That’s all from me for the moment. I’ll keep you updated and see you soon!