Gordian Quest News

Greetings, Heroes.

The time is nearly upon us. We welcome the bravest of you to test drive the latest changes in the Act 3 update, before it officially releases one month from now.

As per all our bleeding-edge updates, we preface them by letting you know the following :

• Expect bugs. Do use the F8 reporting tool so that we can identify and solve these issues asap!
  
• Language translations will be added and updated prior to official release, as mechanics may change.
  
• Additional polish e.g quest icons, event art, item art will be added prior to official release.
  

To opt-in to bleeding-edge, go to Gordian Quest on your Steam launcher and click on the following - Manage > Properties > Betas > Opt-in to bleeding-edge

[h2]What You Can Expect In The Act III Update[/h2]


[h3]Act III - The Faded Peaks (Lv 36 - 48)[/h3]

• Leave the Azul Desert and continue your adventures in the Faded Peaks, an icy mountain region once home to the Vanai. Where Act 1 and 2 were much more open and vast, Act 3 features a challenging trek from base camp to summit - a more linear route but interspersed with multiple branching paths.
  
• 11 new enemy types to test your mettle.
  
• 5 new bosses - the Beholder, the Blue Dragon, the Hellserpent, the Hobgoblin Warlord ... last one's a surprise!
  
• 40 new Legendary items to discover.
  

[h3]Campaign Changes[/h3]

• You can now play a concurrent Campaign or Realms game on the same profile. Gone are the days of switching profiles or ensuring the current run is completed.
  
• Campaign is now considered a persistent mode - continue playing with your party even after the Act has ended while you wait for Act 4 and endgame modes.
  
• In campaigns, the Renown counter at the top now displays your lifetime amount.
  
• An item Stash has been added to the Guild Hall and Operations Tent, allowing you to store items.
  

[h3]Exploration[/h3]

• Exploration is a new node mechanic that captures the spirit of the party venturing through an area, interacting with collectables, and making micro decisions.. When entering an Exploration node, a random map will be generated, littered with various interactive elements.
  
• This feature is present in all Acts, and is intended to reduce the abundance of combat nodes.
  

[h3]Missions[/h3]

• First introduced as Kyreal's function back in Act 2, we had always wanted to cycle back to it and make changes to address its usability. With more of GQ's core features in place, we are ready to refresh Missions as an endgame feature.
  
• Heroes that you've acquired can be set to focus on one of two missions.
  
• While travelling, you can meet up to 3 heroes while in Explorations - interacting with them will trigger their mission, revealing an object of their interest or granting you a side benefit.
  
• Kyreal now also sells Maps, and you can run them by him to trigger an Exploration.
  
• Maps can also come in the form of Raid Maps, which are suped-up versions of normal Maps.
  

[h3]Camping[/h3]

• Updated camping mechanics. There are now more varied reward mechanisms, methods of interactions, as well as deterministic ways to gain the base benefits of camping (rest and recovery).
  
• Previously, hero field abilities were gated behind artifacts. These abilities have been changed to be part of the heroes' camp abilities.
  
• Instead of paying a lump Supply cost to set up camp, the cost has been transferred to specific actions, so there can be more granular usage of Supplies based on what the party requires.
  

[h3]Realm Mode[/h3]

• While this patch cycle gives more love to the campaign side of things, Realm Mode is not forgotten and enjoys all of the above changes in a modified form.
  
• Weekly/All-Time leaderboards have been added.
  

These are a look at the major changes - read the Patch Notes to get the full scoop!

https://steamcommunity.com/app/981430/discussions/3/2957166487947082868/

----------



Thanks for reading. We will continue to work hard in bringing you more exciting features and improvements in the game. We thank you for your support and patience as we continue to build this game with you.

As always, we hope to hear your thoughts below on what we’ve put forth so far. Feel free to join us on Discord to chat with us.

And last but not least, if you haven't already, please consider giving us a positive review on Steam if you like how we are doing so far. It would really mean a lot to us. Thanks! :)

Crafted With Love,
The Mixed Realms Team

Hey Heroes,

The Strategies and Synergies Update is now live! To celebrate this update, Gordian Quest will be available at a 25% discount for the duration of the Steam Summer Sale.

Updating to this version will require starting a new campaign due to many changes to hero progression, so you'll be prompted to do so when you first load this update up.

If you prefer to finish up your current run, we've got you covered as well - you can quit when prompted and instead switch to the legacy (build 103f) branch, which contains the previous update. This branch will stay alive for another month, at which point it will be disabled.

So, what can you expect as a returning player? Let's take a dive into the major changes!

[h2]Torment Difficulty[/h2]

For players who want an even greater challenge, we've added a new difficulty mode called Torment. It ties in strongly with enemy traits, which we'll describe more in detail below. We've also allowed opened up Realm Mode to all difficulty modes (not just Normal or Nightmare).

Many of you ask about being able to change difficulty levels in game. That is now possible from the escape menu.

[h2]A Fresh Coat of Paint[/h2]
We've gone over a majority of the UI to better improve the production quality as well as consistency of various interface elements. We're not totally done with it, but you'll be able to notice the differences instantly in your playthroughs. Here are a couple of shots for comparison!


If you didn't already know, you can also use shortcuts to access the various context menus.
Inventory - I
Map - M
Journal - J
Skill Grid - P
F1-F3 to select heroes

We'll know many of you will be looking for rebindable shortcuts - it's something that's on our to-do list.


[h2]Changes to Artifacts[/h2]
Artifacts have had a slight rework in terms of their bonus, and they will also offer a bonus effect that can be unlocked with Renown. You can choose up to 6 Artifacts to bring on your run.

You will also have opportunities to find "Unstable Artifacts". These are lesser versions of artifacts that instead provide a one-off bonus when you activate them. These are rare items meant to fill in the gap for providing effects like being able to upgrade the tier of an item, forge a particular mod onto an item, grant a skill point, or revive a dead hero.

Renown can be used to obtain these artifacts on runs, and as such deadly encounters in the Acts will also grant Renown in a similiar fashion to that in Realm Mode.


[h2]You want more control? You got it.[/h2]
Gordian Quest has always explored the intersection of building a hero in an RPG and deckbuilding context. We've further refined the ideas based on feedback from the community and we're excited to reveal the following big changes.

[h3]Edit your deck[/h3]
We are introducing a new stat - minimum deck size, which starts at 12. This means that no matter what cards you learn, you can determine which 12 cards you want to bring into battle. Cards from items will always be added, but you can remove them via Void runes as before. You can reduce this value through the skill grid. We hope that this opens up the door to more fun trial-and-error combinations and strategic uses, and removes the feeling of deck bloat.

[h3]Item and skill sockets[/h3]
We are differentiating legendary items and normal items by giving normal items skill sockets. Skill sockets come in five types (Attack, Defense, Ranged, Movement, Spell), and they allow you to input a skill of your own into it and modify it with runes. You can use this new system to empower your skills with runes like Power (+1 Rank), Efficacy (-1 AP cost on first use), or try out one of the new runes being added in this patch like Gambit (skill costs SP instead of AP).

[h3]SP? What's that?[/h3]
SP (Strategy Points) is a new resource system given to heroes, much like a "Limit Break" or "EX Meter". Playing cards as per normal builds up this resource, and we've reworked various cards in game to use that instead. This system is intended to better control balance and improve card diversity across heroes, while removing the power cliff of finding "+1 AP" items. It led to many heroes feeling distinctly stronger than others simply because their cards were more cost-efficient in early game, and playing around with a fully geared 6-7 AP hero trivialized most fights.


[h2]Synergies[/h2]
A new tab called Synergies allows you to set up a new mechanic among your party members. Every hero starts off at Synergy Rank 0, and they build this up by interacting in camp by chatting, or based off the decisions you make in certain events.

As a hero gains Synergy, they unlock special Stratagem cards. Stratagem cards are drawn whenever a hero has enough SP, and provide utility effects like free movement, bonus draw, bonus AP, HP recovery, and more.

When two heroes reach a specific Synergy level, they gain access to a special Synergy ability. Such an ability requires both heroes to spend the SP cost, activating a powerful effect.

We're still working on expanding this system, and it will serve as a framework for expansion in the future.


[h2]A Deadlier Challenge[/h2]
We're reintroducing a new enemy class above Elite enemies, who will possess up to three Traits. Traits are special abilities that hinder the heroes or affect the battlefield, creating a unique scenario to fight in. Some examples of Traits include :

- Reality Warp : Randomly teleports one player to a random cell on round start.
- Ruin : Every X card played by the party will be Expended.
- Jailor : Roots a random hero on round start.
- Wealthy : Drops Gold every time it is hit.


[h2]Status changes[/h2]
We're slightly changing how damage status effects like Burn, Chill, Bleed, Shock, and Poison work. They are now charge based - when you apply up to the max stacks, that status is consumed and its special effect is triggered.

This change is intended to give to allow for quicker and more impactful "damage over time" effects if you can find ways to ramp up the status application such as by working together with various heroes, or finding combinations of talents and items, rather than waiting for round end to happen.

----------



Thanks for reading. We will continue to work hard in bringing you more exciting features and improvements in the game. We thank you for your support and patience as we continue to build this game with you.

As always, we hope to hear your thoughts below on what we’ve put forth so far. Feel free to join us on Discord https://discordapp.com/invite/tce6YMW to chat with us.

And last but not least, if you haven't already, please consider giving us a positive review on Steam if you like how we are doing so far. It would really mean a lot to us. Thanks! :)

Crafted With Love,
The Mixed Realms Team

Hey Heroes,

It's been a while since our last update in February, and we're finally ready to let you in on what we've been working on. These will be available to all players who opt into our bleeding-edge branch (right click Gordian Quest > Properties > Betas), and it will let you testdrive several fundamental changes to the game.

We intend to continue translations and observe how the changes are received over the month, before we make this patch public. As always, we welcome your thoughts, opinions, and suggestions.

Now, let's take a dive into the major changes!


[h2]Changes to Artifacts[/h2]
Artifacts have had a slight rework in terms of their bonus, and they will also offer a bonus effect that can be unlocked with Renown. You can choose up to 6 Artifacts to bring on your run.

You will also have opportunities to find "Unstable Artifacts". These are lesser versions of artifacts that instead provide a one-off bonus when you activate them. These are rare items meant to fill in the gap for providing effects like being able to upgrade the tier of an item, forge a particular mod onto an item, grant a skill point, or revive a dead hero.

Renown can be used to obtain these artifacts on runs, and as such deadly encounters in the Acts will also grant Renown in a similiar fashion to that in Realm Mode.


[h2]You want more control? You got it.[/h2]
Gordian Quest has always explored the intersection of building a hero in an RPG and deckbuilding context. We've further refined the ideas based on feedback from the community and we're excited to reveal the following big changes.

[h3]Edit your deck[/h3]
We are introducing a new stat - minimum deck size, which starts at 12. This means that no matter what cards you learn, you can determine which 12 cards you want to bring into battle. Cards from items will always be added, but you can remove them via Void runes as before. You can reduce this value through the skill grid. We hope that this opens up the door to more fun trial-and-error combinations and strategic uses, and removes the feeling of deck bloat.

[h3]Item and skill sockets[/h3]
We are differentiating legendary items and normal items by giving normal items skill sockets. Skill sockets come in five types (Attack, Defense, Ranged, Movement, Spell), and they allow you to input a skill of your own into it and modify it with runes. You can use this new system to empower your skills with runes like Power (+1 Rank), Efficacy (-1 AP cost on first use), or try out one of the new runes being added in this patch like Gambit (skill costs SP instead of AP).

[h3]SP? What's that?[/h3]
SP (Strategy Points) is a new resource system given to heroes, much like a "Limit Break" or "EX Meter". Playing cards as per normal builds up this resource, and we've reworked various cards in game to use that instead. This system is intended to better control balance and improve card diversity across heroes, while removing the power cliff of finding "+1 AP" items. It led to many heroes feeling distinctly stronger than others simply because their cards were more cost-efficient in early game, and playing around with a fully geared 6-7 AP hero trivialized most fights.

In this system, you will still be able to pull of strings of combos, with the following pros :
- Can be built up in a more controlled and cyclical fashion
- Not dependent on finding the right items
- Remove the feeling of "need a +1 AP item", encourage having more fun with itemization
- SP can be carried over battle to battle, so you can "charge up" in an easy battle and save it if you prefer.


[h2]Synergies[/h2]
A new tab called Synergies allows you to set up a new mechanic among your party members. Every hero starts off at Synergy Rank 0, and they build this up by interacting in camp by chatting, or based off the decisions you make in certain events.

As a hero gains Synergy, they unlock special Stratagem cards. Stratagem cards are drawn whenever a hero has enough SP, and provide utility effects like free movement, bonus draw, bonus AP, HP recovery, and more.

When two heroes reach a specific Synergy level, they gain access to a special Synergy ability. Such an ability requires both heroes to spend the SP cost, activating a powerful effect.

We're still working on expanding this system, and it will serve as a framework for expansion in the future.


[h2]A Deadlier Challenge[/h2]
We're reintroducing a new enemy class above Elite enemies, who will possess up to three Traits. Traits are special abilities that hinder the heroes or affect the battlefield, creating a unique scenario to fight in. Some examples of Traits include :

- Reality Warp : Randomly teleports one player to a random cell on round start.
- Ruin : Every X card played by the party will be Expended.
- Jailor : Roots a random hero on round start.
- Wealthy : Drops Gold every time it is hit.


[h2]Status changes[/h2]
We're slightly changing how damage status effects like Burn, Chill, Bleed, Shock, and Poison work. They are now charge based - when you apply up to the max stacks, that status is consumed and its special effect is triggered.

This change is intended to give to allow for quicker and more impactful "damage over time" effects if you can find ways to ramp up the status application such as by working together with various heroes, or finding combinations of talents and items, rather than waiting for round end to happen.


There are many more things we're tweaking for the patch release next month that you'll get to experience first. Some of them include :
- More consistent UI for cards
- Realm Mode now uses the same difficulty selector as Campaign instead of only providing Normal and Nightmare.
- A newly added Torment difficulty

----------



Thanks for reading. We will continue to work hard in bringing you more exciting features and improvements in the game. We thank you for your support and patience as we continue to build this game with you.

As always, we hope to hear your thoughts below on what we’ve put forth so far. Feel free to join us on Discord to chat with us.

And last but not least, if you haven't already, please consider giving us a positive review on Steam if you like how we are doing so far. It would really mean a lot to us. Thanks! :)

Crafted With Love,
The Mixed Realms Team

Hey Heroes,

It's been a whirlwind ride since Gordian Quest hit Early Access 1 year ago! To celebrate this occasion, GQ will be on sale at 15% OFF for the week. There's not a better time to get a friend in! ;)

Here are some highlights of our first year -

• Launch on Early Access
  
• Two major overhauls to the skill and talent system
  
• Release of Act II
  
• Introduction of Realm Mode
  
• 2 New Heroes
  
• Major Progression & Balancing Updates
  
• Many new mechanics and quality of life changes... and more!
  

In summary, THANK YOU for making all these posssible. While our original vision for Gordian Quest remains intact, the game has evolved and matured through your generous feedback and support. But our adventure is far from over so let's kickoff the party with more exciting news and goodies!

[h2]Introducing our 9th Hero - Jendaya The Golemancer[/h2]

While her Sekani peers relentlessly pursued the rituals of war, Jendaya's interest lay in deconstructing the Vanai's lost technology. She commands a Golem that is both her companion and defender.

Jendaya has a very unique playstyle - while she is the most fragile of all the heroes, she is accompanied by Rocky, her companion Golem, who acts as a second controllable unit. In addition, her deck consists of Golem-tagged cards. These cards are transferred over to Rocky at the start of battle.
These are her skill schools :

Command Rocky
Control your faithful Golem companion. These cards focus on giving Rocky independent actions and will.


Geomancy
Jendaya can control and shape earth, dirt, and clay to do her bidding. These can be used offensively or to protect her team. Geomancy also involves the study of the intangible flow of luck, which she can manipulate at times to create unique effects on the battlefield.


Synthesis
By infusing her magic with the earth, Jendaya can empower herself or Rocky with special abilities, or create special Rock pillars that can be destroyed to create devastating effects.


[h2]A New Realm Boss - Queen of the Damned[/h2]

A seventh Realm Boss has been added to the pool. The Queen of the Damned has a vampire aesthetic, and can overwhelm a party with her strong combat abilities, as well as her supply of undead minions. She also possesses unique traits that capitalize on any bleeding heroes. Beware of the "Mark of the Damned" ability, which makes her invincible unless you have good positioning on the field.

[h2]Improved Map Visuals[/h2]

For a while now, our dungeon maps have been looking pretty plain compared to the overworld maps. We've wanted to better bring across the tabletop aesthetic in these areas, so you'll be noticing some visual changes in this department. Note that the full extent of these changes can only be seen in a fresh campaign.

As an additional quality-of-life change, Shrine effects has also been made more visible - you will now be able to see which nodes have been modified, even if they happen off-screen, by observing energy projectiles that fly from the shrine to these nodes.

[h2]Small Crafting Changes[/h2]
Augmenting an item no longer grants white sockets (which used to prevent sockets from being recolored again). Instead, white sockets are now a possible crafting option.

-------


In the coming months, we'll be working on the following:

[h3]Reworked Camping and Synergy System[/h3]
Camping will be a much more interesting affair, with a reworked Chat interaction that can influence camping outcomes, as well as affect synergies between the interacting heroes. Hitting certain thresholds will enable you to select certain special abilities to be drawn in battle. We don't aim for this to be a very complex system given the many things going on already, so we see it more as a fun bonus interaction between heroes.

[h3]Enemy Intentions and Traits[/h3]
There will be a big focus on enemies in the next patch.

We will be experimenting with simplifying enemy intentions, such that Elites will have 1 big action rather than 2. Stronger attacks will also follow a more "fixed-pattern" style, allowing us to introduce more "telegraphed big attacks". You still want to keep defensive skills around, but we hope this will address the feeling of cheap, unavoidable one-hits.

There will be super versions of elite enemies that possess Traits. Traits are random abilities that can change how you are meant to fight them, as well as modify the dynamic of the fight when other enemies are around. For example, they may possess a Trait that makes them more powerful for every enemy killed while they are still alive, or a trait that makes them restore increasingly more health for every hit they take in a round.

[h3]Items and Sockets[/h3]
Items will have a chance to roll skill sockets - this lets you insert your own skills instead of rely on an item's skill, if it better fits your planning. This also means that your own skills can be supported by up to 1 socket. We will also be giving some items unique skills that you can't obtain elsewhere, so this will introduce a new level of decision making when it comes to itemization.

[h3]Major UI Overhaul[/h3]
Clearer card designs. Being able to access heroes in the shop UI. Buyback system. WASD binding for panning the map and skill grid. More consistent button positions. We've hear all your feedback and suggestions and they are on the way.

[h3]... and more![/h3]
There's more that we aren't ready to talk about yet, and we'll save those for an update post in the future. Stay tuned!

[h2]Which look do you prefer?[/h2]

We've also been exploring a more refined style for our characters. But we'd love to hear what you think. Do you prefer the new style or the current style?

----------



Thanks for reading. We will continue to work hard in bringing you more exciting features and improvements in the game. We thank you for your support and patience as we continue to build this game with you.

As always, we hope to hear your thoughts below on what we’ve put forth so far. Feel free to join us on Discord to chat with us.

And last but not least, if you haven't already, please consider giving us a positive review on Steam if you like how we are doing so far. It would really mean a lot to us. Thanks! :)

Crafted With Love,
The Mixed Realms Team

Hey Heroes,

Hope you have a wonderful Lunar New Year! We're fresh off our latest Realms Mode release, but we're still working hard to keep the content, fixes, and balance changes coming in. In bleeding-edge today, you'll be able to give our next hero a spin. Please note that like all previously introduced heroes, she is currently a draft version and her translations, card art, and balancing will be rapidly iterated on in the coming weeks, with your feedback.

Additionally, Gordian Quest will be discounted at 25% for a limited period, so be sure to tell your friends all about it!


While her Sekani peers relentlessly pursued the rituals of war, Jendaya's interest lay in deconstructing the Vanai's lost technology. She commands a Golem that is both her companion and defender.

Jendaya has a very unique playstyle - while she is the most fragile of all the heroes, she is accompanied by Rocky, her companion Golem, who acts as a second controllable unit. In addition, her deck consists of Golem-tagged cards. These cards are transferred over to Rocky at the start of battle.
These are her skill schools :

Command Rocky
Control your faithful Golem companion. These cards focus on giving Rocky independent actions and will.

Geomancy
Jendaya can control and shape earth, dirt, and clay to do her bidding. These can be used offensively or to protect her team. Geomancy also involves the study of the intangible flow of luck, which she can manipulate at times to create unique effects on the battlefield.

Synthesis
By infusing her magic with the earth, Jendaya can empower herself or Rocky with special abilities, or create special Rock pillars that can be destroyed to create devastating effects.

----------



Thanks for reading. We will continue to work hard in bringing you more exciting features and improvements in the game. We thank you for your support and patience as we continue to build this game with you.

As always, we hope to hear your thoughts below on what we’ve put forth so far. Feel free to join us on Discord to chat with us.

And last but not least, if you haven't already, please consider giving us a positive review on Steam if you like how we are doing so far. It would really mean a lot to us. Thanks! :)

Crafted With Love,
The Mixed Realms Team