We have been working a bit long for this update because we have started prototyping multiplayer gameplay, and we also implemented some complex core functionalities needed for other gameplay features to be announced.
Meanwhile here is what has improved :
Gameplay
Better teammate behavior, now the teammate is more adapting to the game.
Fixed cases where the opponents appears to stay idle instead of taking action.
Better handling on Windows Mixed Reality controllers
Engine
Fixed occasional frame rendering glitch on UI HUD and snap turns/teleports
A lot of under the hoods things in preparation for multiplayer gameplay
Fix for lighting flicker in reflections
Vastly improved performance and compatibility with Quest 2 Streaming (Virtual Desktop and Air Link)
■ Optimized textures. ■ Improved performance. ■ Slight adjustments made to some monsters. Improved reloading for M16, AK74, AK12, CQ16; now there are no issues when pulling out the magazine to check how many rounds are left and reinserting it back. ■ First aid kits added to some levels. ■ The pistol holster has been slightly shifted forward to make it easier to access the PDA. Now it's even simpler! ■ The backpack trigger has been slightly adjusted, making it easier for you to reload your weapon and preventing you from accidentally yanking the backpack off your shoulder. ■ Minor physics fixes. ■ And after optimization, the game takes up less space; don't worry, there's still more to come... We care not only about you but also your SSD space! ;)
Today has come the day I am ready to write a devlog. Devlog that will allow hikers to discover the game I've been working on for a few years, but also to collect your feedback on the few screenshots that illustrate this article.
It all started with a board game presented in Europe
It’s been a few years (I'm talking about the pre-pandemic era, yes) since I've been presenting the prototype of my board game that I'm trying to publish and finance. The rules are relatively simple: you play as a wizard, and you must place cards with various statistics (life, strength, defense) on a game board to reach your opponent.
To finance this project, I therefore decided to develop and sell a dematerialized solo version of this game, by developing the lore hidden in the cards.
Thus was born Drifter's Tales: a narrative board game that gives pride of place to storytelling and discovery. But today, we're going to focus on the major challenge inherent in this transformation: moving from a 2-4 day competitive game to a single-player game.
This game is a solo version - I had to adapt it
First challenge: how the enemies that the player will have to fight should behave? I tested a few variations, like having a different deck for each enemy (and believe me, it took a while) or having pre-determined patterns that repeat over and over.
It is this last proposition I chose. First, because the development would have been really tedious - like a real complexity nightmare - and then because the player must be able to end each fight in 5 minutes, and not in 30 minutes as the original game offers.
Thus, each enemy has from 2 to 5 moves available, which the player can anticipate using these icons at the top right of the screen:
So the enemy can place & move cards, play spells or use any kind of threat against you. Each threat can of course be thwarted with the right strategy.
The second challenge - and not the least - is about the readability. How to display the statistics of the cards on a large game board, while giving the possibility of having an overview on this same board?
At first, I had focused on a zoom function, but zooming in on the cards was detracting from the readability of the big picture. Then this zoom became optional, with pressing a key that would activate an “assistance” mode. But the tests were not conclusive, the player having to continuously activate and deactivate this mode.
A third option - and this is the one I chose - is to give the player the possibility to change their point of view, from the view of their hand to a view of the whole board:
Going further thanks to the video game medium
Freeing myself from the rules established by the paper game was really beneficial from a game design point of view. Thus, some enemies have movements that make the player interact directly, such as avoiding projectiles sent by the opponent:
Of course, I developed other interactions to change from a variation on the shoot 'em up: runes to draw with the keys of the keyboard or memorize a series of symbols.
I need testers for an alpha version
In order to properly test the game in alpha I need testers. Balancing the difficulty or even finding bugs is something tedious and counterproductive (as you can miss many things) when you are alone. Thus, I share a form where you can register for an alpha which will be released at the end of June here: https://forms.gle/hQg14wD97FPuS5T96
Thank you all for this long read, I hope it was instructive for you (if you are a solo dev like me) and that it made you want to know more!
• Attempting to fix soft-locks and ghost-hits. • Tirax is changed to Guardian class. (Was Paladin class.) • Guardian Potion is renamed "Liv Potion" now procs heal over time 3 turns. Cooldown: 1 • Cursed Hide applies curse to their attacker. No cooldown. • Poison Aura applies poison to their attacker. No cooldown.
The Slayer arrives in Arkesia next week on May 10, accompanied by progression events to help players quickly level up. Learn about the Slayer’s abilities, engravings, and progression events below. The Slayer is the fifth Warrior Advanced Class— a female remix of the Berserker class. A melee warrior who stirs up the battlefield with her greatsword and Burst Mode, this powerful class has the potential to overwhelm anything in her path.
Successful attacks with the Slayer fill the Fury Specialty Meter, which, when full, can trigger Burst Mode. During Burst Mode, the Slayer's damage and movement speed greatly increase, and a Specialty skill called Bloodlust (unique to the Slayer) can be used to unleash powerful slashes and stabs. In Burst Mode, Atk. Speed, Move Speed, and Crit Rate are greatly increased. (Atk. Speed +20%, Move Speed +20%, Crit Rate +30%). Bloodlust allows you to quickly slash at foes in front of you to inflict Damage, then perform a powerful stab, knocking them away for more Damage. This skill is only available while in Burst Mode, and can be used with [Z] key.
Class Engravings
Punisher Damage +7% (lvl 1) / 15% (lvl 2) / 25% (lvl 3) while in Burst Mode and Bloodlust Crit Rate +5% (lvl 1) / 10% (lvl 2) / 20% (lvl 3). Fury gain -25% and Burst duration -50%. When Burst ends, Exhaustion does not occur. Predator Fury Meter +3% (lvl 1) / 6% (lvl 2) / 10% (lvl 3) and MP +1% (lvl 1) / 2% (lvl 2) / 3% (lvl 3) when hitting an enemy and absorbing their vigor. (Cooldown: 1s) In Burst Mode, Crit Damage +10% (lvl 1) / 25% (lvl 2) / 40% (lvl 3) and gain Fatigue every 3s. Fatigue: Fury Meter Consumption +10% every 3s, and cannot use Bloodlust. When Burst Mode ends, the duration of Exhaustion will be reduced according to the stacks of Fatigue. The Fury Meter is fully recovered when Exhaustion ends.
Skills
Flash Blade - Perform a diagonal slash to inflict Damage.
Cross Blade - Swing your greatsword in an X shape, inflicting Damage for each swing.
Fury Blade - Jump and swing your greatsword to inflict Damage and launch foes into the sky, then strike down to inflict Damage and knock them down.
Wild Stomp - Stomp the ground with one foot to attack all foes within a 4-meter radius inflicting [Earth] Damage, inflicting Earthquake on them for 3s.
Wild Rush - Charge 7 meters toward the target location and inflict Damage to foes in your path.
Punishing Draw - With your greatsword pinned to the ground, create a crack in the earth and raise it upwards. Deal Damage and launch foes high into the air.
Ground Smash - Thrust your greatsword into the ground, inflicting Damage. Then pull it out and send forth a shockwave, pulling targets and inflicting Damage.
Furious Claw - Menacingly slash your greatsword to the left and right and deal Damage. Spin your body to attack and deal Damage. Attack an airborne foe to launch them into the air again.
Spinning Sword - Swing your greatsword as you move, inflicting Damage. Ignore collisions with adventurers and normal monsters while moving.
Flying Strike - Leap up to 8 meters to the target location and strike downward with your greatsword, inflicting Damage and knocking down foes.
Cruel Pierce - Grab your greatsword with one hand, and stab with ferocious energy to deal Damage.
Final Blow - Charge 4 meters toward the target location and slash at foes, inflicting Damage and launching them into the air. Use as a combo to deliver a spinning attack, inflicting Damage before landing a downward blow, inflicting Damage.
Fatal Sword - Thrust your greatsword down, inflicting Damage.
Hurricane Sword - Spin around for 3s to inflict Damage.
Mountain Cleave - Jump while spinning counter-clockwise and smash the ground to create a storm of swords, inflicting Damage and knocking foes down.
Guillotine - Grab your greatsword in one hand and unleash all of your strength, dealing Damage and launching foes into the air.
Volcanic Eruption - Thrust your greatsword into the ground, inflicting Damage. Hold for 1.5s to attack 6 times to inflict Damage. Hit the Perfect Zone to deliver a finishing blow that inflicts Damage and launches foes into the air.
Brutal Impact - Condense the energy of rage into your greatsword and put your weight into it as you strike the ground. Deal Damage before Charging, and Damage when Overcharged.
Awakening Skills
Execute - Concentrate your fury into your greatsword to create a giant blade of rage. Perform an upward slash to deal Damage, then jump up and slash 4 times to deal Damage before striking down. Each slash of the sword will leave a Sword Wound on the ground. All Sword Wounds explode with the last strike, dealing Damage and launching foes into the air. In Burst Mode, outgoing Damage +20%. Ragna Break - Enter a state of extreme fury that manifests as a Flame Demon. Gather this furious energy into your greatsword and strike the earth, dealing Damage and launching foes into the air.
Progression Events
An event Punika Powerpass and Hyper Express Plus (II), will accompany the launch of the Slayer on May 10 and run until August 9. While there won’t be a new Story Express, the existing event can be used with the Slayer if you haven’t designated a character already, and is active until June 14. The other events that launched with the Artist in March will continue until their planned end date of June 14.
Punika Powerpass
With this version of the Punika Powerpass you'll receive Item Level 1340 gear, and unlike previous Punika Powerpass events, Berver's Friend does not need to be completed to receive this. To prevent bots from reaching endgame areas, only players with Trusted status or with a Lost Ark account created before December 14, 2022 will be granted a Powerpass. While many players have met the requirements or have been granted legacy Trusted status, new adventurers arriving in Arkesia can earn their trusted status in multiple ways, and can choose the path that’s right for them. The first option is for new players to enable the Steam Guard mobile authenticator, have a Steam profile that’s no longer a ‘Limited User’ account, and be Steam Trusted on the platform. This path won’t require making any Lost Ark purchases. Alternatively, new players can also receive trusted status by making any purchase in Lost Ark through either Steam or Amazon.
Hyper Express Event II
Pairing well with the Punika Powerpass, players will be able to designate one character between item Level 1340 and 1460 on their roster to participate in the Hyper Express Plus II Event, where they’ll earn honing materials to quickly level up to Item Level 1460 and beyond. The designated character will earn rewards every 15 Item Levels up to 1460, including Silver, honing materials, Gems, Engravings, and more!
Engraving Support System
As a new feature available with the Hyper Express Plus, the Engraving Support system lets players choose 4 engravings to be in effect at level 3 during the event. Here’s how to get started:
After selecting a Hyper Express Plus character, the Engraving Support button will light up.
Click the Engraving Support button to open the Engraving Support page and select your 4 desired Engravings.
Press the Activate Engraving Support button to start using their effects.
The effects of Engraving Support will also be shown in your Character Profile.
The Slayer and progression events aren’t all we have planned for the May Update— Ebony Cube releases along with quality of life updates, new player improvements, and some very special cosmetics! Stay tuned to PlayLostArk.com and our social media channels for the full list of updates in next week's Release Notes. Until then, we'll see you in Arkesia.
We have some exciting news to share with you. We've just released a brand-new free demo for Chompy Chomp Chomp Party, the ultimate evolution of the Chompy Chomp Chomp series! Get ready for a wild party experience like never before.
In this demo, you'll have unlimited access to the Chase and Chomp mode, now enhanced for up to 8 players. Gather your friends or family and immerse yourselves in the chaotic multiplayer fun. Take on the challenge of the disco-themed levels and see who can outwit and out-chomp their opponents!
But that's not all! Chompy Chomp Chomp Party introduces a host of exciting new features, including stackable power-ups, where you can store up to 3 power-ups and strategically choose the perfect moment to unleash them. We've also added the incredible Vortex power-up, allowing you to teleport your opponents to new locations and shake up the game in unexpected ways!
As loyal players of the original Chompy Chomp Chomp, we wanted to give you the first taste of this new party extravaganza. So head over to the Chompy Chomp Chomp Party store page and download the free demo today. We can't wait to hear your thoughts and see you embrace the party madness!
Check out the new trailer...
Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm. Stay tuned for more exciting updates and announcements on the Chompy Chomp Chomp Party journey. Let the chomping begin!
