Hello Crew,

Another week's work of patches while I work on wrapping up Content Pack#2

Making significant work on Content Pack #2 and #3 so expect more information on them real soon.

In the meantime this patch addresses some bugs, some prominent ones that are directly related to player feedback are: improvements to font rendering (easier to read and more clearly laid out in text boxes!), data-side improvements to play time and egg hatch time calculation, and types visible on the party screen.

Additionally, I know there are people out there still struggling with Brutus. I know there are large amounts of players coming from a mainly Pokemon background that face Brutus, see his level and difficulty in chipping away at his HP and decide the path forward is to grind as that is a strategy they've learned in the past.

I'm against nerfing him because those of you out there that make skilled use of infection, synergy disruption, your own synergy strategies, locating high magical attack monsters, etc. can make quick work of him.

So to compromise I'm adding a simple alternative strategy, the move orb Equalize (not presently learned by any monster naturally) is available for purchase at the Crossroads Shop. This move clears the field of all buffs and debuffs and provides an additional strategy for players. While the above strategies are all effective you have to start the battle with a strategy in mind, once Brutus has fully buffed himself you can be in a position where you can't win, Equalize offers a way you can still make it out alive if you don't realize what he's up to until it's too late. I consider it an easier "mode" to that and future synergy manipulation battles as there is a very tough one coming up in Content Pack #3. I think those of you that have already mastered these systems can safely ignore Equalize if you like a challenge, but feel free to find something that works for you - I'm all about options!

Also the Brutus Tamer now rewards you properly with $500, but this works right now if you return to him. I added a manual "refresh" of NPCs at the end of battles that made it all automatic but it caused an early game issue when I did a test playthrough this morning so I've backed out that change until I can get to the root of that one. Regardless if you haven't received your $500 and are post-Brutus you can safely return for your hard earned dough!

Have a great weekend!

EA v1.469---------------------- +Pact no longer still offered after monster death
+Run speed tweaked
+Improvements to font display
+See types on the party/select screen
+Small polishing tweaks to Beth meeting cutscene
+Crossroads town shop now offers Equalize Move orb, a new orb that reduces all buffs/debuffs to offer another method to combat Brutus
+Playtime counter calculation adjusted
+slight reduction in Gualop HP
+Enemy defending now has proper battle message
+Rain timing improvements

#Please note that we want to keep the primary EA build stable so new builds will be uploaded to the EA-BETA branch for one week before being moved to the main stream. Anyone can access this branch, just right-click Monster Crown in Steam, go to properties and select the EA-BETA branch to have the up to the minute, bleeding edge updates.