So, it's been yet another while and a half, and here we are again. I come bearing gifts. Watch this: https://youtu.be/S0DF43O-3mU If you don't feel like watching that then read this stuff (it's mostly the same words):

The Tinkerer!

First things first, this update adds a new player class to the game; The Tinkerer. Tinkerers are crafty item-users, planners, and mechanics, and as such they are associated with Intelligence. Their class ability isn't really an ability so much as a companion: All tinkerers have a flying robot buddy that can carry items and fight alongside them. The Tinker-Bot has four different modes that the player can switch between at will:

• In Defensive mode, the tinker-bot will only attack enemies that you're already in combat with, but won't fly off and start fights on its own.
• In Offensive mode, it'll attack any nearby creature regardless of whether they're aware of you or not.
• In Manual mode, you control the robot directly, letting you move, attack, and pick up items with it, but you lose control of your Kid while doing so.
• In Idle mode, the tinker-bot enters an inactive standby state: You can use this mode to tell the bot to wait somewhere out of the way while you go do something dangerous. You can also interact with the tinkerbot in this mode to manage its held item or modify its behaviour.

Of course, nothing lives forever, and the tinker-bot will be destroyed if it takes too much damage. When this happens it breaks into three pieces that are scattered around the level, and in order to restore it you'll need to reassemble the parts and then take a moment to power it up again. When you repair your bot this way, you'll become mentally exhausted for a couple floors, during which time if it breaks again, repairing it might result in some...lower quality results - or else come at a high cost. In addition to their tinker-bot companions, Tinkerers also have a chance to start with items unique to their class, called "Contraptions." There are only two kinds of contraptions so far - Grenades and Wind-up Turtles - but more are planned for future updates. Those are the essentials of the new Tinkerer class, but there's much more to them that you'll have to discover for yourself. I'm excited to finally have the fourth class implemented and I think they'll find their place alongside the bully, wanderer, and poet as a valued addition to the game.

Catacoins

The next major addition to this update is the introduction of Catacoins. These coins are a kind of currency that you gain over the course of multiple runs by getting far and gaining reputations. Different reputations are worth different amounts of Catacoins based on how difficult they are to get, but even if you don't get any reputations at all, you'll still slowly gain Catacoins over the course of your runs to spend. As for what you do with these coins, there's only one thing to spend them on so far, but I think it's pretty neat: You can spend coins to customize the otherwise randomly-rolled Kids, tweaking certain starting traits and equipment to create a kid that suits the way you play, but keep in mind that the more specific you are, the pricier the kid becomes. I've also removed the ability to continually re-roll new random kids at no cost: backing out to the menu and going forward again a million times won't get you what you want! You can choose to spend just a few coins for a simple quality of life improvement, or save them up to roll an expensive all-star suited to your tastes -- but play well, to make sure they survive and make the investment worthwhile.

Shops

I've also made some changes to shopkeepers: They're no longer generic sellers-of-all things, but are instead divided into four different shop types: blacksmiths, magic dealers, potion brewers, and clothiers. In addition to each shop type offering different kinds of items, shopkeepers themselves now offers a service unique to their profession.

• Blacksmiths can improve your weapon's stats and repair damaged equipment.
• Magic dealers will sell you a single spell that doesn't require learning points to acquire.
• Potion brewers will identify any potion type, for a price.
• Clothiers offer enchantments for your armor and shoes.

What's Next?

So, now that this new class is out and the groundwork has been laid for meta progression in the form of Catacoins, my next major goals are the implementation of the third environment, the Deep Dark and the addition of Tier 3 boons, and transitioning development to Game Maker Studio 2. But like, in the reverse order from what I just said. Of course this all will be aalongside the continued fleshing-out of existing systems - adding more meals and meal effects, more things to purchase with catacoins, more spell overloads and trances, etc.

I'm Still Not Dead

Lastly, as I've mentioned before but will continue to mention for as long as it remains true: If you ever think I'm dead or have dropped off the face of the earth (like I know sometimes happens) Check out my Twitch.tv on Mondays or Fridays - unless I'm out of town I'll always be dev-streaming from 3-6PM PST. We've also got a relatively active discord channel that y'all're all welcome to party in. But like, not a rowdy party. A really chill low-key one because honestly we're all tired but it's only Monday and we still have to be up tomorrow morning, and it's not even like we don't see each other often anyway, so there's no need to get all wound up when we all know we're just going to be back here again in a couple weeks. So anyway, sorry this build took such a long time getting out - there were a lot of irritating and common bugs in the last version, and going so long without at least addressing them was pretty unacceptable of me. My bad. I'll try to do better forever. After all, what can we do but strive evermore for betterment - of ourselves, of the world around us - or else be crushed by the sameness and the worseness of all prior existence; softly smothered by the enticing and outstretched arms of the grand beast named Contentment with Mediocrity. So you strive, stumbling at times, sure, but resisting that beastly embrace. And so shall I strive too - until I am Better. Until I am Best. And even further, until the infinite endeavors which lie beyond. . . . Seeing as how this is a pretty big update and this has already been a lot of words, I'll post the patch notes separately.