Hey everyone! The third major update of Stories from the Outbreak is now live!
The highlight of this update is a full rework of the in-run progression system (inspiration points, ability upgrades, character roles and more); other important changes include damage estimates for upcoming enemy attacks, remade & properly randomised second and third maps, a rework of the poison mechanic, a new alternate first boss fight, new enemies, events, backgrounds, rebalancing, and more! If you want to learn more about why we decided to approach progression differently, you can read about the motivation in the previous installment of Dev Notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1968630/view/6043326076341570006 The next major update will focus on reworking some of the game's narrative systems, as well as including some new content.
Happy Halloween, The Coldwild Games team

Full changelog

* 1 new boss (alternate boss for the first map) * 2 new enemies, as well as 1 new... object? * 11 new events * Backstories & epilogues for Viktorija, Maksim, and Bete * Reworked in-run progression system * Estimates are now shown for the amount of damage an enemy will inflict * Significant improvements to second and third map * Poison now also lowers damage output * Writing, structure and balance improvements in events * Several new backgrounds * Improved status effect display in situations where a unit has more than 5 status effects * Make the status effect tooltips accessible without mouse * Improved gamepad icon selection logic * Change default gamepad button mapping for opening other combat actions menu and viewing status effects * (bugfix) Pressure now removes bleed from Bete instead of the enemy * (bugfix) Healing done by Jar of Jam adjusted to match with the description. * (bugfix) Ignore gamepad input while the steam overlay is open Progression: * New role: Training (after undergoing training, the character receives inspiration points faster) * Inspiration points can now be spent on stats or ability upgrades * Getting a specific ability upgrade is much more expensive than getting a random one * Stats get more expensive the more you spend inspiration on them * Ability upgrades no longer drop as combat loot, inspiration points are now significantly more common * Harder battles now give extra inspiration points * Bosses now give inspiration to the whole team * New characters now start with enough inspiration to keep up with the rest of the team Maps: * New map: The third map is now in the Latvian town of Saldus * The second and third map have been remade from scratch, with plenty of variations and randomness in each * Character nodes in the second half of the game are now optional Balancing: * Infected STR 3 -> 5 * Infected Claw base damage 4*STR -> 2*STR * Infected Bite base damage 6*STR -> 4*STR * Swarming infected Virulent bite base damage 4*STR -> 5*STR * Swarming infected Virulent bite base cooldown 35 -> 40 * Swarming infected Virulent bite focus gain 1 -> 2 * Swarming infected Virulent bite poison 2 -> 3 * Bouncer Slam focus gain 1 -> 2 * Warden Forceful slam base cooldown 38 -> 33 * King Demolition bonus damage to protection STR -> 2*STR * King Battering ram base damage STR -> 2*STR * Instead of swapping turns, Aberrant's Ichor spit now delays targets by 10 * Best friend Gnaw base damage 2*STR -> 3*STR * Parasite Latch on base cooldown 40 -> 30 * Parasite Latch on base damage STR -> 3*STR * Ghoul's moveset has been simplified, making it much more dangerous * Houndwalker Seasoned hook base damage STR -> 2*STR * Legion Annihilation base damage 2*STR -> 3*STR * Worthless Worship base cooldown 40 -> 30 * Final boss Agony base damage STR/2 -> STR * Final boss Finale base damage 4*STR -> 5*STR * Final boss Sea of blood now inflicts 1 poison * Final boss Cleanse removed bleed amount 20 -> 30 * Final boss Cleanse removed poison amount 8 -> 12 * Final boss Expand protection 60 -> 100 * Final boss Eternity base damage STR -> 2*STR * Vintage locket now gives 2 inspiration points (so it keeps up with progression rework) * Steel dumbbell now gives 2 inspiration points (so it keeps up with progression rework) * When an enemy with Provoked status effect damages themselves (directly or as a result of poison/bleed) multiply damage by 2 instead of 4. * (challenge mode) Black rose cooldown 25 -> 35 * (challenge mode) Necklace of teeth renew amount 4 -> 3 Anna: * Deicide base cooldown 55 -> 50 * Deicide damage multiplier against full health enemies 2 -> 1.5 Jnis: * Sharpened blade base damage STR / 2 -> STR * Roughened blade base cooldown 25 -> 20 * Roughened blade base damage STR -> 2*STR * Roughened blade poison amount 3 -> 2 * Recuperate base cooldown 25 -> 23 * Wild shout protection gain 5 -> 7 * Reciprocation and its upgrades now give 1 focus Katerina: * Precision shot SKL gain on miss 2 -> 1 * Warning shot delay amount 10 -> 15 Dmitry: * Nimble strikes base cooldown 30 -> 27 * Beatdown focus gain 1 -> 0 * Charge base cooldown 23 -> 20 * Sadism duration 40 -> 20 * Sadism duration no longer lowered by 5 upon each hit * Disorienting blow focus reduction 2 -> 3 * Showstopper strike base cooldown 30 -> 20 * Deranged bashes now always reduces focus by 2 * Deranged bashes cooldown 35 -> 45 Dzintars: * Twist the blade base cooldown 17 -> 23 * Twist the blade bleed amount 4 -> 3 * Remedy and its upgrades base cooldown 22 -> 20 * Phlebotomy base cooldown 10 -> 6 Inese: * Distraction amount 25 -> 30 Zigmrs: * Base TGH 5 -> 4 * Base SKL 3 -> 4 * Trinity base cooldown 30 -> 25 * Minutiae base cooldown 8 -> 18 * Minutiae SKL amount 1 -> 2 * Minutiae now always gives 1 focus * Symmetry and Reinterpretation have now swapped places (Symmetry is the base ability, Reinterpretation - the upgrade) * Symmetry base cooldown 20 -> 25 * Reinterpretation base cooldown 15 -> 35 * Reinterpretation now inflicts 2 symmetry on the target Viktorija: * Starting amount of Combat expertise 2 -> 1 * Combat expertise base cooldown 40 -> 45 * Unscathed base cooldown 30 -> 35 * Death denied base cooldown 45 -> 55 * Death denied focus gain 2 -> 3 Maksim: * Hone base cooldown 45 -> 55 Samanta: * Momentum and its upgrades base cooldown 17 -> 25 * Parry base cooldown 17 -> 20 Sprdtis: * Unyielding physiology & upgrades now specifically give defensive buffs * Unyielding physiology base cooldown 40 -> 35 * Esprit de corps base cooldown 30 -> 25 * Mutagenesis base cooldown 40 -> 35 * Animated limbs & upgrades have been entirely reworked to give offensive buffs * Infinite chaos stat loss 0-2 -> 0-1 * Infinite chaos uses per battle 2 -> 1 Elza: * Flanked base cooldown 40 -> 45 * Torment and its upgrades have been entirely reworked Bete: * Cut down base cooldown 25 -> 22 * Swing the blade base cooldown 25 -> 22 * Grunt work base cooldown 30 -> 26 * Massacre attack count 10 -> 7 * Massacre now deals 3 self-damage with each hit, rather than 25 self-damage at once * Massacre no longer gives bleed or vulnerable

[ 2023-10-26 12:01:06 CET ] [ Original post ]