I'm finally ready to release a beta of the next Crystal Project update. The update can be downloaded by opting into the Crystal Project beta (right-click Crystal Project in your Steam library, choose Properties, then Betas, and select "beta - For testing the latest build before it goes live" from the dropdown menu). First of all, I just want to say that you guys are one of the best things that has happened to me. It has been amazing seeing all the ways that everyone has played through Crystal Project. I made the game I wanted to play, but of course when you make something, you can't ever truly experience it with fresh eyes. Hearing about everyone's adventures and about the emotions that come from experiencing the good, bad, and challenging, more than makes up for not being able to have those experiences myself. I didn't think there were many other people that wanted to play an RPG like this, so not only am I overjoyed that people are having fun with the game I made, but it also gives me a lot of hope that more RPGs like this might be made in the future. I never planned on making a NG+, let alone a randomizer, and that's not because I didn't think they were good features - I just didn't anticipate that anyone would be invested enough to want them! So, I tried my best to fit these things into Crystal Project in the best way that I could. I would normally want to release an update like this without a beta phase, but every time I tested it, I found bugs which needed to be fixed, which lead to another round of testing, and so on. Not to say that it's totally broken or anything, but I would highly recommend not overwriting any saves from the previous version yet just in case. And please let me know if you find any bugs; I would appreciate that a lot! Lastly, as a heads up, there's one new feature that's extremely experimental. It is currently marked in-game as "Beta". I have been going back and forth about what I wanted to create with it, whether that's a dedicated mode specifically for a NG+ playthrough, or something that's extremely hard either way, or something else entirely. As it stands right now, I don't think it's much fun, so I anticipate changing this before the patch's official release. Aside from that, everything else should be final. Here are the patch notes:

Update: Version 1.3.0

Discipline Hollow:

Reawakening:

Challenge Options:

Randomizer:

New features:

• You can now choose an ability to be used automatically for a party member's first turn of battle. Access this feature using the Ability menu.
• You can now view Scholar abilities in the skill tree if they have been learned by another party member.
• You can now skip the credits after clearing the game at least once.

Bug fixes:

• Auto save can no longer trigger during dialogue or cinematics.
• Multiple sources of the same physical element no longer stack multiple times with equipment that grants increased elemental damage dealt.
• Highland Blade's Lightning Rod effect no longer lasts forever.
• The Lost & Found will no longer list items that are already owned at max capacity. This prevents having stock in the Lost & Found that is impossible to purchase.
• The Boost EXP Assist Option now properly works for bosses.
• Setting a Template will no longer cause HP or MP loss.
• Setting a Template that makes use of equipment-enabling effects will now work properly.
• Clarified the text description of the Confirm Home Point option.
• Steal chance is no longer misaligned in the ability preview window when using Mug while applying a status or triggering an elemental weakness/resistance.
• Fixed issue where sometimes a controller would stop working.
• Fixed issue where sometimes the game would crash with a NoAudioHardwareException.

Balance changes:

• Star Flare: MP cost reduced from 60 to 56. CT decreased from 52 to 42.

• Resist Break: Never misses.
• Magic Break: Never misses.

• Ken: Asura: Never misses.
• Ken: Heavenslash: Never misses.
• Ken: Omnislice: Never misses.

• New ability: Rigid Stance.

• Mnd reduced from +50% to +30 and +20%.

• Targets are unable to counter.

• Targets are unable to counter.

• Targets are unable to counter.

• Targets are unable to counter.

• Mnd increased from 35% to 40%.
• Spi penalty increased from -35% to -40%.

• MP penalty changed from -10 to -10%.

• TT at battle start decreased from -10 to -20.

• Now has immunity to Earth elemental abilities.

• Now has immunity to Earth elemental abilities.

• Now properly uses Spit Fire.

• Now properly uses Division Cut.