Happy end of summer! In celebration of ELS being a part of Steam Strategy Fest, I've updated the game to version 1.05 and added a few fixes and a tweaked difficulty option. Details to follow! Changes in 1.05

• Revamped difficulty settings for Hard and Expert modes. Note that Challenge battles are unaffected.
• Even more typos fixed. Lots of typos. So many typos.
• Fixed some visual effects that would improperly jump around during a reaction attack.
• Fixed an issue where multiple reactions could continue to trigger after the original attacker was defeated.
• Fixed a graphical issue when using Snap Shot with a thrown weapon.
• Sped up the enemy Data Disruption skill.

• A bit more Skill, HP, and SP growth.
• Small base speed boosts.
• RES increases.
• Expert foes still gain an extra AP.
• Does not affect Normal or lower difficulties, or Challenge battles.

Hello! The game's finally going through console certification as we speak, so I thought I'd bring over some tweaks and fixes in the meantime. Here's a brief list of what's changed:

• The skill Noxious Strike now has a proper throwing animation when used with missile weapons.
• The "Technician" NPC class has had its weapon kit and skills revamped to be a mobile, aggressive ranged attacker.
• Slightly reduced the melee skill growth of the Bloodthrob class.
• Fixed an issue where clicking/choosing a target during an attack animation could make the target info box appear.
• The engineer's Dampening effect now correctly diminishes magical healing such as Quick Pickup.
• Increased mobility of enemy gravbenders.
• Fixed an issue where activating Melee Counter with a dynamo weapon equipped in the main hand would cause the shooting animation to play. No more laser fists, sorry.
• Improved enemy AI in several ways.
• Slightly improved game speed and performance in small ways.
• Allies no longer gain Tension at the start of a turn for free when above 50%.
• Fixed an issue where running out of AP on an attack that triggered a dialog scene would improperly cause the end-of-turn notification to appear.
• Modified how the AI treats Unique skills. They should be much more willing to trigger their Unique skills ASAP now.
• Replaced the "High" and "Low" arrows with more visible versions.

Just a quick update with some small fixes of things I've noticed while wrapping up the testing on the console ports. I should be submitting those for final QA next month, with a release this summer. Exciting! Here's today's updates in the meantime:

• Fix the skill Wave Disruption to correctly apply the RES values in the description.
• Small tweaks to the lighting in the late game and on some maps.
• Adjusted positioning of some skill particle effects.
• Added some small optimizations that may improve performance and AI processing time.
• "Oath Broken" should no longer trigger if an entity (such as a drone) is defeated.

Time for a little spring cleaning, so to speak. Here's what's changed:

• Fixed several small inconsistencies when using gamepad navigation.
• AI units are more likely to defend if they are at low health or are otherwise a "squishy" class.
• Fixed an issue where the taunt effect applied from the Thundering Howl skill was immediately fading.
• Thundering Howl is no longer flagged as magic, or as a "melee" skill.
• Slightly boosted the "damage" inflicted by the enemy reaction skill Data Denial, meaning it should no longer miss almost every time.
• The duration of the confusion effect from Data Denial has been reduced from 3 turns to 2.
• The engagement "Just Chill" has had its base level corrected from 3 to 13.
• Fixed an issue where using an AOE attack against many targets could result in no Tension gain.
• The "!" mark for a Unique skill being usable should no longer appear if the current unit has Disable status.
• Fixed an issue where the "NEW" flag for character classes would inconsistently be removed when clicking on the class in the Class Setup screen.

Hello! I have been preoccupied with the console versions, recovery from a hack, and a much-needed vacation, and I recently (as in, today) became aware of some glitches that the last Unity upgrade might have introduced in the previous update. I have hopefully solved them all with today's update, but please don't be afraid to post or message me if you notice anything that looks wrong - I don't bite! Here's what I've addressed today:

• Fixed the trajectory of thrown projectiles to appear less erratic.
• Fixed an issue where the play time clock could incorrectly count up at a faster rate than intended.
• The Engineer class will now correctly begin with the Construct Barrier skill. This is not retroactive, but the skill has been changed to cost 0 Mastery so it can be acquired anytime as intended.
• Fixed a render issue with the commander records screen.
• Fixed an issue where visiting characters would appear super tiny!
• Fixed a graphical glitch with choice hotkeys during visitor dialog sequences.

So, turns out, I'm not too bright sometimes, and the Sungazer Software discord community has been compromised. If you're a member, bail out now. I'll post a link to the new server when the dust settles. And if you received a message from me (Space Lizard) on Discord, disregard it!

The ELS Battle Demo was originally put together for Steam Next Fest last fall, and it's fallen pretty far behind as far as updates, tweaks, and performance improvements. Needless to say, the old Battle Demo is going away this week and is being replaced with a proper demo version! This new demo will start you off at the beginning of the main game and let you experience the first few weeks of content and the story from either starting faction. In addition, new players will be able to carry their saved demo progress into the full game! Because of the substantial change to the package, the new demo version will be a bit larger in size. Be sure to uninstall the existing Battle Demo if you do not wish to download the replacement files. I'm doing a bit more testing and whatnot, but expect the new demo sometime this week. Thanks!

Quite a lot of small fixes today as I shake out and refactor things in anticipation of the console ports. Here's a brief list!

• Changed dialog/cutscene handling to hopefully perform better on lower-end systems.
• Changed a few graphical settings to help improve performance on lower-end hardware.
• Increased the tension granted for area-of-effect heals.
• Fixed an issue where allied characters could act out of order during the opening tutorial battles.
• Fixed several inconsistencies with gamepad tabbing on the interface.
• Fixed an issue where UI feedback sounds could become improperly pitched in battle.
• Fixed an issue where target reaction warnings could be shown improperly.
• Fixed an issue where portraits could cover up the Attack Preview window when UI scale was set to maximum.
• Fixed an issue where UI elements could improperly appear on screen at the start of battle when UI scale was set to maximum.
• Fixed an issue where it could be difficult to select Ekrett on the world map.
• Refactored some AI processing to hopefully help speed up the process.
• Fixed incorrect information in the crafting tutorial message.
• Fixed an issue where multiple Astral Ally units could be summoned.
• Reduced the size of the interactive "hot spot" on portraits in battle. This was causing conflicts with the menu at larger UI scales.

Small update for today: -Fixed an issue with tabbing on the title screen gamepad popup. -Fixed an issue with tabbing on the battle deployment screen. -Fixed an issue where the ability setup screen was failing to display a character's complete list of reaction skills.

Today's update is both a minor change and a monumental amount of work behind the scenes. So it goes! Patch notes version 1.023: Gameplay: -Implemented an alternate control scheme for gamepads! You can enable this by choosing the "Control Pad Style" from the Options screen. It defaults to "Hotkey," which keeps the old style (navigating with the analog stick and using the d-pad for menu shortcuts). Changing it to Nav lets you use the d-pad to navigate many menus, and to move the cursor around tile by tile in battle. The analog stick is still available in this mode for direct cursor control. This method will be the default for the future console versions, so please report any issues! UI: -Added a glowing trail to the pointer to help with visibility, especially when snapping the cursor around with the gamepad. This can be disabled in the Options screen. -Moved the "show classes" checkbox on the turn queue so it should be harder to click accidentally. Graphics: -Adjusted some instances where cosmetic sunglasses and the like weren't fitting properly. Battle: -Entities like deployed cover should no longer be preferred as the automatic target when healing. Update Notes for 1.024 - This is a very minor fix that wasn't worthy of its own update. -Fixed a DLL issue that was causing a crash on exit.

A small update to push out a few convenient features and fixes while I continue the gamepad revamp. Here are the changes: UI: -Added a glow effect to the pointer to improve visibility. -Added a new filter to the crafting screen to only show equipped items. Battle: -Status and cosmetic effects should now scale with character size, including very large or small custom characters. -Fixed an issue where Gag Reflex was failing to trigger against certain skills. -Increased the regen effect on the bulwark armor to 15%.

A couple of small requested features are live today. Happy holidays! Bug Fixes: -Fixed an issue where the purple tough drekoran custom character sprite had the wrong body. Battle UI: -There is now an option to change the size of the battle UI. Adjust with the "Battle UI Size" setting on the Options screen. Character Creation: -You can now generate a code based off a character's appearance! This code can be shared via copy/pasting to quickly import appearance settings into another save file, or to share your custom character settings with someone else. Name, bio, and mvp data is not shared with the code, but has been made easy to access so it can be copy/pasted as well. Custom portraits must be shared externally. Game progress such as level, stats, equipment, etc is not shared.

Scenario:

• Fixed a bugged dialog encounter with Sicious in the Path of Cooperation.

• It is now possible to cancel the defending state before ending a turn.
• Improved the accuracy of several area-of-effect attacks so they remain more viable late-game.
• The 'Shatter Icebound' effect has been increased to +20% damage per level.

Another day, another update! This one has several balance tweaks and quality of life changes here and there, plus a few buffs to certain classes to reinforce their roles and make them more viable in the late-game. Here's a full list. New features:

• You can now enter a quote for a custom character to deliver when they're declared MVP of a battle! This can be customized by clicking the "Bio & Quote" button on the character creation screen.

• The full stat panel for a target will no longer close when switching targets. Instead, it will refresh to show the stats of the new target.
• Healing bonus from magic skill ("Magical" abilities) is now correctly affected by effects such as magic dampening.
• Relaxed the limit on the number of deployed summonable entities that can exist on the battlefield at one time.
• Combined damage from Pain effects now caps at 99 HP damage per turn.
• Modified the formula that determines the chance of landing a status effect on a higher level foe. It should be easier to do now.
• The AI thinking time has been adjusted to scale with the size of the map, which should help with instances where a distant AI doesn't know how to act.

• Replaced the agent's "Hunker Down" with a new ability, "Gunner Nest." This ability improves gun accuracy and increases gun damage depending on target distance while the agent is in cover.
• The agent ability "Quick Draw" no longer triggers reaction abilities.
• Fixed an issue where the Endurance Disruption effect was only lasting one turn.
• Increased the survivability of the Astral Ally unit.
• The ability Cold Snap is now confined to a single target. Its SP cost has been reduced to 10.
• Unique ability attacks now better scale up with level.
• Staggering Strike now ignores weapon verticality when used with non-melee weapons.
• The demolitionist adept ability "What I Have Wrought" now bestows +1% damage to any attack per Havoc tile on the map. This caps at +20%.
• Reduced the bonuses granted by Potioncraft.
• The Mana Distiller now grants +50 Elemental RES.

• Fixed an issue where a very long message log could become corrupted with markup tags.
• You can now close the save screen by right-clicking the mouse or pressing the cancel button on the gamepad.

UI: There is now a message log which can be used to view the current conversation during cutscenes while dialog is paused. It can be accessed/closed by middle-clicking, pressing the 5 key, or clicking in the left stick on a gamepad. It can be scrolled using the mouse scroll wheel, or the left and right bumpers on a gamepad. Battle: The skill Pin Down has the correct AP cost again. Addressed an issue where passive HP increases would sometimes not apply in battle. Addressed an issue where the AI was sometimes targeting itself with damaging AOE skills. Addressed an issue where some tactician skills would be improperly flagged as non-usable.

A big thanks to everyone who's tried out the game so far! I am usually pretty diligent about updates and I love your feedback, so I appreciate your patience while the dust settles. Before I continue, be sure to take a look at this fan-created Quick Start guide for lots of hints and tips on playing! Here's what's new in today's update: Battle: -Added a fix to reduce the AI's thinking time on Normal and lower difficulties. -Reformulated turn order to hopefully help curb very fast characters from getting excessive turns. -There is a more pronounced wait time bonus when ending turn with AP left over now. -Adjusted the speed of some effects like Area of Denial to help prevent them from fading too quickly. Equipment: -Adjusted the damage and accuracy of the Wide barrel Sidearm to make it a bit more powerful. Scenario: -Shrunk the map size of the tutorial battle by a couple of rows.

After five-ish long years of development, I'm happy to announce that Eden's Last Sunrise is finally available on the Steam store! This has been the longest, most ambitious game project I have ever (or will ever) taken on, and it feels surreal to finally see it completed. I almost gave up twice during development, so I am eternally grateful to my supporters and community for giving me the support and confidence needed to see it through to the end. Now that it's done, I am at last ready to sleep for a thousand years. So, what comes next? Well, first, a brief break. I'll pop in from time to time to gather feedback and bug reports through the rest of the year, so I can tighten up any loose ends that escaped into the wild. (It's just me against the entire codebase, mind you). After that, depending on how things go, I'll probably work on additional platforms and console ports next. I've also started on the design and bare bones of my next project, because I cannot contain myself. Needless to say, the scope will be much, much more manageable. I've also left the door open for more content expansions, depending on interest. There is already a huge chunk of content (some players have already sunk a hundred hours into this thing), but I still have some ideas for more challenge battles, more classes, and so on. I'd also like to work in even more skits, random encounters, and character interactions as time permits. Any of these additions will be totally free of charge. Eden's Last Sunrise is a passion project through-and-through; a soft reboot of my first series of RPGs from over a decade ago, and a chance to finally give closure to that story. I don't know what else to say that won't sound unbearably sappy, except, thanks. Thanks for checking out my game. rik

At long last, the demo for Eden's Last Sunrise is now available for download! This is a small sample of the game unconnected from the main story that shows some of the main cast, several playable classes, and a chance to try out the custom character creator.
Thank you for following my li'l project, and I hope you have fun. Feel free to post questions, bugs, or show off your custom characters. I'd love to see them! Some tips to get you started:

• You can click on a unit's portrait (either yourself or the current target) to get a breakdown on all their stats.
• Similarly, on the full stats screen, you can click on the [?] next to abilities and effects to get a list on what they all do.
• Unique skills use Tension, which is the glowing green bar with the % marker. Units gain Tension for doing things in battle, for taking damage, and for dodging attacks.
• The little shield icons designate cover in that direction. Being in cover grants protection from many attacks, particularly ranged ones.
• If you don't use all your AP in a turn, the leftover AP makes that unit's next turn come up sooner.
• Tile effects like Miasma and Havoc will deal damage and a status effect to a unit who ends their turn on top of them.
• Use Lure skills (basically taunts; skills with pink names) to draw enemy attention! However, the effectiveness of the taunt diminishes every time the taunting unit is attacked, so refresh it as needed.
• I'm sure I'll think of some more later! But, feel free to experiment.

Greetings, Commander! Eden's Last Sunrise will be participating in Steam Next Fest, starting on October 3rd. However, you'll be able to try the demo version early - next week, in fact! I'm planning to release the ELS Battle Demo on Wednesday, September 21st.
The battle demo contains two battle scenarios (a 4v4 skirmish, and a 6v6 battle with more advanced character classes). This is a chance to get the hang of combat, try out several of the playable classes, and even adjust the difficulty for a challenge of your liking. You will also be able to create one custom unit to take into battle alongside the main cast! All of the creation tools are present - choose an appearance, import your own artwork, set your colors, design your outfit, set a voice, and assign a starting class. In the full game, you will be able to create up to 6 custom characters to add to your army. I'm so glad to be coming up on release, and I'm excited to finally share a sample of what's to come. Be sure to follow along on Twitter for (more informal) announcements leading up to release.