Dark Envoy News

HOTFIX 3 - 31.10.2023

[h3]Third hotfix fixes many of the reported co-op and story related bugs. Further improvements will be coming in Patch 1 (scheduled for 9th November).[/h3]

Thank you for all the feedback you have shared with us!


[h3]Story fixes[/h3]

• Leon companion quest “Stolen ideas, stolen ideals” should now be fixed for new players. Players already affected by the issue who returned to Free Phoenicia will have their saves fixed in Patch 1.
  
• Fixed an issue with spawning encounter after load in research lab
  
• Fixed Vasso position in a cutscene in Phoenicia Bomb quest
  
• Fixed an issue where quest task was not updated after talking to Merchant Lord in Faction Meeting
  
• Fixed quest mark after interacting with the gate in Theran quest
  
• Fixed quest mark after interacting with the first teleport in Capital Ruga
  
• Fixed an issue with loading auto saves when defeated by the inquisitor
  
• Fixed an issue with already collected yellow access card reappearing after loading an auto save
  
• Fixed an issue with loading an auto save after being defeating during a fight with Joe Mana
  
• Fixed an issue with loading an auto save after being defeated in Research Lab
  
• Fixed multiple cases of auto saves being triggered in a changing state, which could result in them being broken and unavailable for loading.
  
• Fixed potential issues with cameras in cutscenes (substantially more to come in Patch 1)
  

[h3]Co-op[/h3]

• Fixed: tactical mode requests toggle from client being processed twice by host after loading a save making them not working ('slow mo not working after a while on client')
  
• Fixed: related to the tactical mode not working after load, fixed interactions not being registered from client side ('client can't interact with certain objects after a while')
  
• Fixed: a rare occasion that an overhead dialogue ending while in regular dialogue would force UI being visible on client
  
• Fixed: revive order desync allowing client to predict that a unit was revived without confirmation from the host
  
• Fixed: a bug that would not allow the client to join a coop session after after being connected and the host has ended the game, loaded a save and started a new session
  
• Fixed: a bug where procedural locations are not showing on client's world map
  
• Fixed: camera position not synced or focused on client's units when going to new locations. There could still be some locations in which the issue occurs due to collisions with walls, but those will be fixed in a future patch.
  
• Fixed: revive mechanic should now work properly and an edge case when revive would drop host framerate should be fixed (known issue: ui progress bar will not refresh properly when remote unit is reviving on host/client)
  
• Fixed: major remake of skill tree mechanics for client that should fix all known issues concerning skill management (as this feature is a 'hotfix' there might be a noticeable lag when client is managing the skill tree, we will improve this feature in patch 1)
  
• Fixed: an issue when loading a save game made on worldmap would leave the client in deprecated menu
  
• Fixed: tactical objectives not spawning on client when changing location
  
• Added: you can now ping locations you want to visit as client by clicking on the location and clicking 'explore' , the host fill see the icon blink on his world map
  
  
• Note: this patch was supposed to contain a fix for client not participating in choices, after QA we had to push this fix for the next patch due to issues detected in release build not seen in the development environment.
  

[h3]Miscallenous[/h3]

• Codex search will now work on content, not just the title
  
• Fixed an issue with shelter skill that caused players to get maximum critical chance and maximum critical damage. Players affected by the issue will have their stats restored to proper values.
  
• Improved unit overlay slightly, to better show currently selected units
  
• Healing staff will no longer heal wounded health.
  
• Armor Strip, Resistance Strip and Death Mark are no longer affected by tenacity. You can now stack them as they should be stacked.
  
• Fixed an issue with Might and Mastery milestone effects not working correctly
  

First big Patch, mostly focusing on graphical aspects (proper lipsync and dialogue animation) as well as reported issues to unit responsiveness is already in the works and is planned for 9th November.

Please continue to share your feedback with us. Best way to do it is via the in-game Report Issue option or by joining our Discord https://discord.gg/eventhorizon and sharing it there.

Cheers,
Event Horizon team

Patch size: 2.5GB

[h3]BUGFIXES[/h3]

• Fixed issue with “auto attack enemies in range” setting not being respected by characters with ranged weapons
  
• Fixed a potential issue with auto saves not being loadable if made with a non-active combat barrier
  
• Fixed wrong map icon for quest objectives
  
• Removed input settings for ability 6, 7, 8 since these are were not doing anything
  
• Removed game version info in lower right corner
  
• Kills by player summons and kills by destroying explosive environments are correctly counted for kills achievements.
  
• Fixed issue with black screen after interaction with woman phoenicia agent quest
  
• Added quest mark after interaction with Hallas to Travel to Ancient temple to show where player should go (to ship)
  

[h3]FEATURES[/h3]

• Autosave is created on every interaction with the Healing Fountain with a 10 second cooldown.
  
• Added special indicator to health bar and character slots which better shows which unit is selected
  
• Enemies will now be auto looted if they only have gold or ingots. As bodies without loot disappear after a while, it reduces battle body clutter and improves performance in heavy battles.
  

[h3]GAMEPLAY CHANGES [/h3]

• Hackable Turrets are much stronger now and more frequent. We also added the Ancient Turret variant.
  
• Added more tactical enviro (like barrels) and placed them more tactically, so they are easier to use efficiently.
  
• Tweaks to some more difficult encounters with reinforcements, so they are less chaotic.
  
• Reflect damage no longer bypasses magic armor - it will now deal damage to magic armor first and then to health
  
• Balance changes to the companion quests - certain fights were unintentionally too difficult
  
• Changed stats of Benedict’s companion quest miniboss - to be in line with other minibosses
  

[h3]CLASSES[/h3]

• Player Summons (Turret, Golem, etc..) are boosted, as they were quite weak early.
  
• Engineer: Increased damage on Discharge Blast and increased Stun duration
  
• Engineer: Increased damage on Charge Ground
  
• Bounty Hunter's agility passive icon updated
  
• Fixed Sharpshooter's headshot damage calculations based on consumed mana
  
• Fixed Inquisitor's unstable orb rectangle width to match actual aoe radius
  
• Fixed Gunslinger's tnt barrel synergy always triggering even without required statuses applied on target unit
  
• Fixed reversed Blademaster's honor duel effects on duel end.
  

[h3]ENEMIES[/h3]

• Broodmother (Scorpion Elite) - increased cooldown for 2 summoning skills: Egg and Children
  
• Broodmother - Increase damage for Claw skill but increased casting time 1.5s → 2.5s
  
• Broodmother - Reduced Health and Armor (as it was too high for fast attack weapons)
  
• Fixed Imperial Engineer's invulnerability to all statuses
  
• Enemy Engineer's gun turret summon lifetime decreased from 120 to 30
  
• Enemy Engineer's cover cooldown increased from 25 to 40
  

[h3]DIFFICULTY LEVELS [/h3]

• Hard: Bonus Tenacity reduced from 20% to 10%
  
• Insane: Bonus Tenacity reduced from 30% to 20%
  
• Insane: Bonus Health - slightly reduced early but scaling more aggressively later. It was unfair early on for certain classes. Changes equal to a previous difficulty setting at level 7 and then slightly increases to level 20.
  
• Insane: Enemy Cooldown Reduction: reduced from 30% to 20%, to reduce visual chaos.
  

[h3]CONTROLS[/h3]

• Improved control scheme generally and how characters react to commands. It should eliminate most remaining problems regarding seemingly unresponsive characters (when in fact it was accidentally deselected). We will keep working on general responsiveness until we get it 100% right.
  
• Updated default keybinds - WASD is now for camera movement and QERTF for skills. To apply these settings you need to use the `Reset To Defaults` option in input settings.
  
• Fixed selecting units by pressing DPAD arrows on gamepad
  
• Known Issue: you can still double-bind keys, since we did it as a feature (different action depending on context). But since it causes problems, we will remove it in the next patch and show clearly if rebinding given key causes another slot to be emptied.
  

[h3]CO-OP[/h3]

• Fixed a critical inventory error that would, on rare occasions, desync the inventory state between players and would cause duplicated items preventing game saving. Added failsafes and validation of guest player’s action on host side to reconcile if a failure was detected.
  
• Fixed guest player side units sometimes getting stuck in dashing animation after using a dash-based skill
  
• Fixed duplicated loot on client while playing in coop
  
• Fixed a critical bug where the game would break on host while a client is joining during combat and an enemy was removed from battle
  
• Fixed an issue that caused unique items in coop as counted toward `Journeyman Enchanted` achievement
  
• Fixed skill points desync on client after using the skill tree.
  
• Combat barriers are now shown on the client side in random dungeons.
  
• Known issue: sometimes a barrier on client side might not turn red on a random dungeon when combat is active.
  
  Upcoming COOP fixes for next patch:
  A full fix for critical skill tree issues like: broken skill tree after resetting skills, point desync, crashes after deselecting certain skills etc, is ready and under QA for the next patch. We are aware of the issues you’re facing and fixes are coming asap.
  

[h3]TRANSLATION[/h3]

• We are aware of some issues with translations, especially the Chinese version. We’re working with translation company to address them as soon as possible. We apologize for that.
  

[h3]OTHER[/h3]

• Fixed stuttering audio during battles
  
• Reduced number of barks of characters in combat
  
• Fixed some places when texts were overflowing
  

[h3]First hotfix addresses most of the reported problems so far.[/h3]
Version: 1.0.1.68345 (download size: 57 mb)

Thank you for all the feedback we have received so far.

• Co-op region selection is now fixed. People from different locations can play together, however both need to choose the same region.
• Keybinding resetting or not being accepted when pressing ESC is now fixed. ESC is now blocked temporarily. That was the main cause of most keybinding problems. We will have more comprehensive fix to that in next hotfix.
  
• Autosave and Quicksaves can now be deleted.
  
• Vertical Sync is enabled by default, which no longer causes high strain of CPU when starting the game.
  
• If Vertical Sync is turned off, FPS cap is set to 60 by default. It can be changed in Settings.
  
• Improved co-op stability.
  
• Small tweak to AI, both for enemies and our party if in autonomous mode. We’ll keep improving this.
  
• Multishot item was fixed.
  

Next hotfix is planned in a few days and we continue to work on further improvements.

Please continue to share your feedback with us. Best way is to do it is via the in-game Report Issue option or by joining our Discord https://discord.gg/eventhorizon and sharing it there.


Cheers,
Event Horizon team

Dear Players,

Our team is excited and proud to share the result of many years of hard work with you.

Dark Envoy is our attempt to breathe new life into the RPG genre by creating a more dynamic gameplay experience and introducing our own RPG systems that encourage creativity and experimentation. We aim for players to feel as if they are in a sandbox of possibilities.

As an independent, self-funded company without a publisher, we had the freedom to take such risks and break away from genre norms. We know this approach comes with its challenges, but we believe that without risks, there can be no great adventure.

We hope you enjoy our game!

Thank you.
Event Horizon Team

In the world of Dark Envoy, the Empire and League factions, along with the monsters of mysterious origin called Hybrids, will present players with unceasing challenges. Each of these adversaries brings its own blend of strengths and strategies, ensuring that players must adapt and devise innovative tactics as they embark on their adventures. These are but a few examples of enemy families you will encounter, each with distinctive units, skills, and behaviors.

[h3]Empire[/h3]
The Empire faction stands as a formidable force with its array of robots and heavily armored human units. Their mastery lies in harnessing the destructive power of electric and fire-based damage, making them a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. However, be cautious when engaging the Empire, as they employ blinding grenades and stunning skills to outmaneuver their adversaries. A particularly explosive twist is their robots, which detonate upon destruction.



[h3]League[/h3]
Within the League faction, a blend of Elementals and agile units represents the three races of Krannites, Shadows, and Elves. These warriors rely on Poison and Cold damage, with the added intrigue of being able to summon elementals that represent a diverse range of elemental forces. Their speed and agility are matched only by their cunning, making it vital to stay vigilant against melee units that can quickly close the distance with dashes and deliver swift attacks. Among the League, the druids take on the critical roles of healers and supporters, providing aid to their fellow units from a distance.



[h3]Hybrids[/h3]
The enigmatic Hybrids have recently emerged throughout the land of Jaan, shrouded in mystery and uncertainty about their origins. These creatures wield a unique and potent weapon—chaos damage, which bypasses the armor of their enemies. What sets them apart is their ability to devolve into weaker forms when vanquished, eventually giving rise to two Crawlers. Careful and methodical elimination of these creatures, one by one, is imperative, as failure to do so may lead to a swift.



[h2]AI[/h2]
Of course, none of the above enemies would pose a threat without refined AI. In Dark Envoy, the game's artificial intelligence operates with a tactical approach. Ranged units strategically seek optimal positioning, taking cover and using repositioning skills as needed. Both ranged and melee units utilize these skills, either to retreat and take cover or to engage the enemy, depending on the circumstances. The AI employs a threat assessment system to prioritize its targets, focusing on characters deemed the most significant threat based on factors like distance and damage output.

Furthermore, the AI uses a sophisticated communication system to coordinate actions among units. Units in need can request support, such as healing or buffs, while units nearby that possess the necessary abilities respond to these requests. Additionally, the AI strategically employs area-of-effect (AOE) skills, ensuring they cover as many units as possible to maximize damage, all while considering resistances and character armor. This discourages grouping party together, adding depth to the game's tactical challenges.



[h2]Playtests via Discord
[/h2]
And if you're interested in trying out the new version of the playtest demo and help us with balancing the combat, please join our Discord. We'll be happy to share access to the private build. - drop a msg on #playest-access. At some point before the launch, access to the preview/demo version will no longer be available.

You can join our discord by using this link: DISCORD

The Dark Envoy team 🛡️✨

https://store.steampowered.com/app/945770/

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