Foreword:

This is a version of both gameplay and performance optimization. Introduced the function of backup weapons, character stats panel, and character enforcement in free mode. Performance optimizes several of the long-term neglected performance hotspots of UI.

Updates:

Introduction of the backup weapon system

• Now players obtain the ability to carry additional reserve weapons based on the Strength attribute of the character.
• The relationship between the carry quantity and strength value is the first 10, the second 15 points, the third 20 points, and so on for each additional weapon. Therefore, in initial state, each character can carry at least one reserve weapon.
• The weapon is displayed in the top left corner of the screen in the form of an icon. The four weapons icons represent its corresponding typical combat method, which are:
• The falchion for the one-handed weapon,
  
• The zweihander for the two-handed weapon,
  
• The rapier for the pokingweapon,
  
• The kitchen knife for stabbing weapon.
  
• While the icon is tinted in white or red depending that the type of damage is blunt or sharp.
• Switching the reserve weapon can only be done when the character is not attacking and not in hit recovery state, with a minimum interval of 0.5s.
• When carrying more than two weapons, one can switch forward or backward.
• Press the number 1 and 2 for keyboard, and the D-Pad up and down for controller.
• In the melee mode of multiplayer game, the character's defeat will only drop the current handheld weapon, and will not drop the reserve weapon.
• Switching the reserve weapon will cancel the revealtion of hidden effect by the war roar, including the element damage/special effects of the legendary weapon and the next knockout effect.

The introduction of the character attribute panel

• In the games of various modes, you can toggle the panel by pressing the F1, or the right button of the D-Pad on the controller.
• The panel includes the following information:
• Basic weapon damage + character attribute bonus damage.
• The elemental damage of the weapon, including whether it is hidden.
• Weapon Strength and Agility attribute bonus factor, which are described as SABCDE level.
• Life and maxium.
• Stamina and maxium.
• The Vitality, Endurance, Strength, and Agility attribute value of the character, including the hat bonus.
• The character's maximum ailment resistance to the four elements of fire, ice, electricity, and water.
• The information of the panel is updated in real time, including the moment of equipping and dequipping of the hat and weapon.

The gameplay of Nightmare and the permanent growth of the character

• The endless nightmare mode will randomly reward the character attribute points after each pass. You can choose one in the three growth directions provided and take effect in the current session of challenge.

• After the game fails in the endless nightmare, it will reward some permanent free distribution points according to the count of levels passed. When the count is less than 10, each two levels promise one point, and each 1 layer is rewarded at 1 point after more than 10 layers.
• The reward points can only be cosumed in the page of the post game failure. Exit the game or restart the game will discard it.
• The enemy will also get stronger as the level increases by enhancing the total attribute one for one level.

Performance optimization and UI improvement

• Shorten the character's life bar and stamina bar.
• The proportional scale is added to the life bar of BOSS. The width is increased and the gap between the name is reduced.

• UI uses a new way to render, eliminating the potential stuttering caused by lock targets, the indicating number of damage, changes of the character's life/stamina/ailment gauge bar, and the number of frames per second.
• The number of FPS is now smaller, and only first number of the fraction is displayed.
• The sound effects and VFX of footsteps were changed to object pool management, which greatly improved performance and reduced performance impact.
• Use the object pool to manage the generation of the ground-touching skills, that is, the water splat produced by the mop and the lightning produced by Vertue. The result is the same as above.
• The generation during the battle in the multiplayer modes is more stable and smooth, and there will be no problems such as shaking of position.
• Shorten the duration of the waters splats to balance the power of the mop.
• Temporarily canceled the occasion when the Vertue's lightning spawns on the slippery ground will march straight.
• The lightning effect introduced the new environmental interaction, and sparks will now bounce as contacting with environmental entities.
• The disappearance of lightning is more natural and smooth.
• Optimize the visual effects of the weapon trail and greatly improve performance.

Other improvements and restorations

• Fixed the issue that the enemy was still locked after being defeated.
• Fixed the issue that the enemy can still be attacked after being defeated.
• Tweaked the slow motion of attacker when the attack contact occurs, so the feeling is enhanced.
• Fix the issue of damage check occasionaly missing with stabbing and poking weapon.
• Increased the speed of the whirlwind of stabbing heavy attacks to enhance the fluidity of controlling.
• Use green to indicate the attribute change when allocating attributes, and red indicates that the available points are exhausted.
• Optimized the management method of character shadows to prepare for more types of enemies in the future.
• Optimized the size of the font file.
• Optimized the process of weapon attack checking.
• Clean up some unused textures.
• Use a new compilation method to improve the overall CPU performance.
• Fixed some initialization performance problems.
• Adding a half refresh rate to vertical synchronization, a high refresh rate laptop with insufficient performance or poor heat dissipation can be more convenient to configure.
• Optimized the sound effects format to reduce CPU loads.

Conclusion:

The new map and gameplay are in continuous development, so stay tuned!