Aug 9, 2023

Inkbound - shinycami

Hey, this is ModusPwnenz from the design team to talk to you about the new upcoming Aspect, the Star Captain. This aspect showcases a mastery over lasers both big and small, controls deadly Sentinel Drones (with you guessed it, lasers), utilizes powerful team-wide auras, and harnesses the destructive force that is frost. Star Captains can chain damage between foes with their Chillazer or call in the big guns with Cryoclasm; an orbital beam that deals huge damage to an enemy and frostbiting anyone unlucky enough to be near. Their Mission Leader aura gives big buffs to allies while simultaneously calling in friendly Sentinel Drones ready to zap foes and trigger frostbite. Star Captains' excel as supportive team players, boosting friendly abilities and protecting them with shields. However, even by themselves they are a force to be reckoned with, building up massive frostbite or drone damage. In fact, any Binding that targets allies will give them a Drone, making it a natural fit for picking up any kind of team support Binding.

Let’s walk through the base Bindings. First off, Chillazer.

Chillazer can chain through waves of enemies, dealing light damage. Target tougher enemies with the initial hit to build stacks of Frostbite, making them easier to take down. Some of the augments include adding a Frostbite to secondary targets, increasing the range for easier bounces, and both hexing and shattering the primary target.

Next up is Mission Leader, an aura that can switch between giving ability power and shields.

Mission Leader starts in Offensive Mode, giving all allies +1 ability power. Using the Binding swaps modes to Defensive Mode giving +2 shields for the turn (any mode you actively swap to gets double strength for the turn). On the next turn it would remain in Defensive Mode and since it passively applies it gives all allies +1 shield, and so on. Mission Leader augments can give bonuses when using a specific aura such as increased frostbite damage in Offensive Mode or spiked stacks in Defensive Mode. One of the key synergies with Mission Leader is the passive: Drone Commander.

Any Bindings that hit friendly players trigger Star Captain’s passive summoning a Sentinel Drone to assist them. Sentinel Drones will attach to players and shoot at all the targets they hit with their next Binding, dealing bonus damage and triggering an extra Frostbite stack. If you’re playing with multiple Star Captains only one drone will be present regardless of how many Star Captain’s apply them, but they will add all of their damage together for a massive hit.

The final Binding in the Captain’s arsenal helps build up Frostbite for Sentinel Drones and bouncing Chillazers to chew through.

Cryoclasm summons a giant orbital blast from a nearby spaceship dealing high single target damage and applying Frostbite. Enemies near the strike are hit with the backdraft, taking light damage but also gaining Frostbite stacks. This makes them great targets for bouncing Chillazers, especially if there is a Sentinel Drone at your side. Cryoclasm’s augments can massively increase Frostbite by adding 8 more stacks to the primary target or 2 more stacks to secondary targets, and also help build up Sentinel Drone reserves by gaining one for each enemy hit by the secondary backdraft.

To develop the new Aspect I utilized several prompts to help guide its creation:

What is the goal of the Aspect?

The general direction we started with was “Straightforward Support”; make a class that is simple to pilot at first while also highly effective at assisting their team. However, even with a straightforward play style we want to make sure there is a skill ceiling that is engaging to reach. Every time you play you should see ways to improve and optimize your builds. The Star Captain can be built to fill many roles, and with some creative thinking is a real powerhouse.

What new gameplay style can we support?

When coming up with a new Aspect we seek to create new and fun gameplay styles, and part of that is often utilizing newer or rarer game mechanics. For Star Captain in particular, much of its kit was inspired by the “chain targeting” that is used by their Chillazer attack to bounce to multiple enemies, as well as the “frostbite” mechanic; a status effect inflicted on enemies that triggers bonus damage when they are hit. Chain targeting in particular helped with the concept of straightforward but with ways to optimize. It’s always going to hit multiple enemies, but changing the initial target can alter which ones are hit and what debuffs they get. Frostbite is also a natural fit given the main goals: it is useful in both solo and group play, it’s simple to understand but also very effective, and we can also help amp it up by making it interact with Sentinel Drones along with many of the augments and ascensions.

How can we make it fit the theme of our season story?

Fortunately for design, having constraints is a key part of the process. Knowing that we wanted to do a Jules Verne-esque space theme helped drive many of the ideas behind the look and the core abilities. The name “Star Captain” also helps give the idea of a Star Trek style character, exploring worlds and zapping aliens.

How will it play with the other Aspects and Bindings?

An essential part to the fun and longevity of an Aspect is to make sure it has exciting synergies to theorycraft and play. Part of this is giving obvious connections to mechanics such as Frostbite, but also giving it more open ended synergies like the Sentinel Drone passive that can be given to allies from any friendly Binding. We want you to continue to find fun new combinations of vestiges, augments, trinkets, and teammates to make satisfying and powerful builds with.

These are just some of the starting points for creating a new Aspect. But after that, equally important work happens through iterating on these concepts and growing the gameplay from there. New ideas come constantly from playtesting and building off feedback which results in many upgrades to the core kit. The Sentinel Drone in particular ended up having many different variations, in the end making it easier to use but more powerful feeling as well.

I hope you have fun diving into the world of Inkbound with the Star Captain! Let us know what you think, and what kind of Aspects you’d like to see in the future!

Aug 9, 2023

Uncle from Another World Collab Campaign

Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis - pso2mod4

Uncle from Another World Collab Campaign

We’re celebrating our collaboration with Uncle from Another World with a Build Parts Login Bonus and a Beginner's Boost Campaign!

Campaign Period

From the end of scheduled maintenance on 8/9/2023 (Wed) (PDT)
until the start of scheduled maintenance on 9/12/2023 (Tue) (PDT)

BP: UfAW - Panel

BP: UfAW - Panel B

BP: UfAW - Panel C

BP: UfAW x NGS - Poster

STP: Uncle - Collab Visual

STP: Elf - Collab Visual

STP: Mabel - Collab Visual

How to receive gifts

Gifts will be distributed to the inventory of characters who have fulfilled the requirements.

*If your inventory is full, gift items will be sent to Storage.

Battledia: Yellow Boost & Trigger Boomerang Campaign

During the period, some Battledia: Yellow will feature weakened enemies and a massive boost to EXP Earned! Plus, there will be a once-a-day Daily Task where you get back the triggers you spend!

Campaign period

ㅤㅤㅤ From 8/9/2023 (Wed) at 5:00 AM (PDT) ㅤㅤㅤㅤ until 9/12/2023 (Tue) at 5:00 AM (PDT)

Target Quests

Battledia: Yellow - Aelio Troopers
Battledia: Yellow - Retem Troopers

Boost Campaign

EXP Earned +100%
Enemy HP reduced by 50%

Task Progress Campaign

Once a day, completing the target quests will unlock a Daily Task where you can earn B-Trigger/Common Yellow (x5).

Precautions

Even if you fulfill the conditions with multiple characters, you can only receive one gift per account.

The content and schedule of the campaign may change due to unforeseen operational reasons. Thank you for your understanding.

Please note that items distributed in this campaign may also be distributed in other campaigns.

More information

To see information about all ongoing events and campaigns, check the link here!

©Hotondoshindeiru, UNCLE from ANOTHER WORLD Partners

Aug 9, 2023

Stray Souls: Unveiling The Shadows

Stray Souls - Renee | VE CM

Excerpt taken from documents recovered at the abandoned former home of Professor Abigail Chasse.
Current whereabouts unknown…

As I carefully sifted through dusty boxes stacked in the corner of the dimly lit room, my hands brushed against the brittle pages of forgotten documents and faded photographs. My search for answers had led me to this hidden trove of history and long-kept treasure of forgotten tales.

And then, tucked away amidst the stack, I discovered a weathered journal, its leather cover worn with time. Intrigued by the secrets it might hold, I opened its pages, eager to unlock the mysteries of the past.

Little did I know that within those faded lines, I would uncover the untold story of Aspen Falls, a narrative that would both captivate and haunt me to my very core…

Aspen Falls was founded in 1883 by five families: the Fillmores, the Gillespies, the Masons, the Levitts, and the Davidsons–all key members of the Society of Unified Silence, a religious group seeking a “better way.” Each family had been given a specific purpose in the development of this new town, and all subsequent offspring were educated in their ways.

The Fillmore family tended to agriculture. The Mason family handled upkeep and maintenance of the towns’ infrastructure. The Gillespie family were placed in charge of town security. The Levitt family was tasked with managing the towns’ finances. As for the Davidson family… they were placed in charge of spiritual matters. An honor they didn’t take lightly.

The town prospered over the following decades, growing into a typical Mid-Western farming community as far as the outside world knew. Eventually, rumors of dark, cult-like rituals, cattle mutilations, UFOs, and a much higher than average missing persons rate made Aspen Falls a place that neighboring townships avoided and only spoke about in hushed whispers.

What drove the original five families to Aspen Falls remains shrouded in mystery to this day. Early geological studies suggest that the town had been built upon a rare conjunction of Ley Lines, as well as a massive deposit of quartz–a stone believed to act as a conductor of spiritual energy in some cultures.

However, the most unusual thing about the quartz deposit was its location directly at a point where the Ley Lines intersected. Further perplexing local geologists was the fact that quartz was not commonly found in surrounding soil samples… almost as if it had been placed there on purpose.

Somewhere around 1920, nearly forty years after Aspen Falls’ founding, something changed. Surviving materials from that time contain the first documented mentions of “The Inner Circle,” a devout and secretive cloister whose core beliefs differed from those of the Society of Unified Silence.

While much about the Inner Circle is either unsubstantiated rumor or pure speculation, theological scholars do typically agree that its belief system consisted of teachings adopted from several practiced religions around the world. Where scholars can’t seem to agree, however, is in regards to a hypothesis suggesting these practices were a ruse intended to cover up a darker purpose for existence, and that the Inner Circle’s only true belief was in “The Prophecy.”

Literature recovered in 1932 from the ashes of a burned down farm, known colloquially as the “Blasphemers’ Diary,” contained supposed Inner Circle teachings which have never been authenticated. Are they genuine or hoax?

In these texts, it was posited that the “Savior” was not an inherently merciful being and His true nature was dual purpose, being both the Creator and Destroyer of all things. That He had tired of human failure and would return one day to unleash mankind’s destruction as punishment before reshaping the world in a new image. This was “The Prophecy.”

For the prophecy to be fulfilled, however, the “Savior” required a specific vessel: a human male, having come of age (18 years old), and having been born from extreme hardship–a responsibility that fell upon the Davidson family. Only under these conditions could the “Savior” be reborn to carry out His plan. This vessel would be known as “The Darkness.”

References to the Society of Unified Silence, the Inner Circle, and “The Prophecy” all dissipated over the years before disappearing from the cultural zeitgeist entirely in the early 1970s. Some insist it was all a product of urban legend and exaggerated campfire tales, but even a casual inquiry to satisfy one’s curiosity is sure to draw suspicious looks from the locals.

Today, few descendants of the five original founding families still reside within Aspen Falls. Some rose to prominence over the years, filling important community roles such as police chief and mayor. One even spent time as the pastor of the local Evangelical church.

Then there’s the curious case of former Town Council Speaker Judith Davidson, who moved away from Aspen Falls to live out the remainder of her days in a Detroit suburb. Nobody knew what prompted the move and some say she took many of the towns’ best kept secrets with her to the grave, and now no one may ever know the truth…

Wishlist Now!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1807210/Stray_Souls/

Aug 9, 2023

v1.0 Release Date Announcement

Draft of Darkness - Crawly Games

Draft of Darkness was released in Early Access back in July 2021. Now, we are thrilled to announce that the game is all set to transform into v1.0 on the 23rd of August!

During the Early Access phase, we received invaluable feedback and suggestions from our dedicated players, which has played a significant role in shaping Draft of Darkness into what it is today. Let's take a moment to reflect on our Early Access journey together!

Embrace New Heroes

Four survivors have been added to the roster of heroes, brandishing the five new weapons. Meet Rene, whose Chainsaw mastery lets her slice through zombies with deadly precision, complemented by the acid-spewing Spray Gun that melts enemies away. Ivan harnesses the power of Darkness through his Dark Cannon and fights alongside his loyal robo-dog companion, Leo. Freya's Crossbow skills exhibit unparalleled accuracy, while her protective Shield safeguards allies from harm. Last but not least, Echo, the final unlockable hero, boasts the flexibility of wielding all weapons, empowering you to devise creative synergies.

Enlist Powerful Companions

You won't face the darkness alone. With the inclusion of five new companion archetypes - Chemist, Brute, Leo (exclusive to Ivan), Mascot, and Reverend - and four variants - Sergeant, Outlaw, Fugitive, C. Candy - you will have a diverse array of allies to aid you on your perilous journey. Each companion possesses unique weapons and perks that are essential for survival in the Draft of Darkness.

Overall, there has been 265+ new cards added over Early Access, summing up to a total of more than 400 cards!

Discover New Areas

Two new areas have been added during Early Access: the Factory with its blood and rust-covered walls, and the ominous Lair, the heart of Darkness itself. As you explore these uncharted territories, you'll encounter over 58 new decision events, face 22 additional enemies, and challenge yourself with 11 new boss fights! Your choices in Part 2 of the story will determine which of the three final bosses you'll confront and which of the three endings you'll experience.

Improvements & New Mechanics

Darkness Level

Prepare for a heightened challenge in the dark corners of the maps with the Darkness Level feature. As you explore each area, be mindful of your choices, as facing tougher enemies and suffering debilitating effects awaits those who linger too long. This addition aims to introduce a higher risk-reward dynamic to exploration while maintaining a faster pace. The Darkness Level also replaces the previous hidden "Karma" system.

Improved Metaprogression

Dive into the game with more control over your runs through the introduction of Starting Items & Perks. Now, you can choose from a selection of unlockable Perks and Items to kickstart your adventures. Have some extra credits to spare? Unlock new Starting Items and Perks to expand your arsenal and customize your experience.

Preserving Items has also been enhanced. Now, you can preserve one item per run without fear of it being destroyed, and choose from the last 5 preserved items at the beginning of your new run.

Improved Combat

Embrace the new possibilities brought by Card Upgrades. Push the limits of your decks further by upgrading cards between areas or through consumables and various events, adding depth and strategy to your battles.

Early Access started with somewhat confusing power and defense values, which have since been simplified and fine-tuned during the course of development, resulting in improved progression of power and defense throughout runs.

Streamlined Equipment Management

Managing your Equipment has become more user-friendly and efficient compared to the early stages of Early Access. Simplified tooltips enable easier attribute comparison, helping you make informed decisions about your gear.

With the introduction of Equipment Moves, looting becomes more impactful, allowing you to directly enhance your decks.

Enhanced User Interface

Instead of a cluttered item bar, a cleaner and more organized item bar now await you. With enhanced filtering, sorting, and search options, navigating the content has become a more seamless experience. Additionally, the new Archive lets you access all the cards, items, and enemies in the game, while the improved Flowchart offers better insights into the overarching story, providing valuable clues for your journey.

v1.0 Release and Beyond

We're excited to announce that Draft of Darkness will be officially released from Early Access, launching as version 1.0 on Steam on August 23rd. The release price will be $14.99 USD.

Following the release, we remain committed to supporting the game just as before. Your feedback and suggestions are invaluable to us, so feel free to join our Discord server and be part of the ongoing journey to make Draft of Darkness even better.

As promised, we're also working on the v1.1 patch, which will introduce the Custom Run Mode. This mode offers a unique opportunity to experience the Draft of Darkness without the story, while facing additional challenges.

Get ready for an enhanced, more thrilling experience as you embark on your journey through the darkness. Stay tuned for the full release of Draft of Darkness and prepare to face the challenges that lie ahead!

Aug 9, 2023

30XX 1.0 Patch Notes - August 9, 2023

30XX - batterystaplegames

Hello! Today's 30XX 1.0 patch sees the game exit Early Access into full release!

1.0, first and foremost, brings 30XX's Endgame into the spotlight! We'll avoid too many spoilers here about the new levels, but all 30XX runs will now go past level 8, until you've truly saved the world that remains.

We've also fixed up all the remaining major bugs we've found, including some long-standing issues in online play and Mega Mode.

Of course, there's still a lot we're excited to bring to 30XX in the coming months. While we believe 30XX 1.0 fulfills our original vision for the game, there's lots more 30XX in the pipeline - more game content, additional characters, even more Maker flexibility, better mod support, and so much more! We see 1.0 as a fresh start for the game, and we can't wait to be able to share what's coming next.

Our launch trailer's available here on Steam, but it's also here on Twitter if you're into that. https://twitter.com/batterystaple_g/status/1689320798375538688?s=20

We'll also be doing an AMA on reddit today on /r/Games - the post'll go up at 2PM PT!

As always, thanks for playing. We hope you enjoy digging into 1.0 as much as we've enjoyed making it.

--

GAME CHANGES & FIXES:

Added 30XX's Endgame! More levels past level 8 await you. We wish you luck, hero.
- The Endgame is available in all game modes except for the Maker for the time being.
- Like our previous new-level updates, you'll have to create new Mega Mode files to see these.
- Achievements requiring game completions are now available.
- New narrative events are available past the ones in the pre-1.0 version of the game. You may want to talk to a few NPCs to find a hint, or check up on a certain device.
Updated several early UI elements, including the game's splash screen & mode select menus.
Updated Flapp visuals.
Added support for Traditional Chinese! Also improved loc display in most non-English languages.
All narrative text content is now available in all game languages.
Fixed a handful of issues relating to 0.57's Achievements.
Fixed an issue where Unstoppable Force, Crushing Slam, Digspinning, Lethal Evade, and Vagrant's Waltz damage weren't scaling with some effects. (They still all scale with the user's Speed stat, but now also benefit from lots of other effects.)
Lucavi's homing effect after a charged attack now also considered Phase Knives' effect when determining how far it can go.
Copy effects no longer copy Challenge Flavor benefits.
Fixed an online co-op issue where the non-pausing player's inputs were counted immediately upon a menu opening (say, for an Aug choice). The non-active player can still move the menu after two seconds.
Added a menu to Community Run to choose between Verified Only and Wild West. This option has been removed from the settings menu.
A certain Prototype no longer does its thing in a certain alternate stage.
Nina's shot groups that hit multiple enemies now correctly restore 0.5 NRG per enemy hit. Additionally, enemies that Nina defeats in one hit always restore 1 NRG.
Fixed a host of bugs that could cause performance issues in online play. If you have a smooth single player experience but have online performance issues, tell us!
Updated boss health bar graphics. Each boss now has its own icon on the health bar, too.
Added various new sound effects.
The world is now frozen during NPC dialog.
The barrier created by fusing Rending Whirl and Negation Pulse now disappears when the player unfuses those Powers.
Fixed an issue where playtesting the same level through the Maker multiple times may not update it properly on the game side.
Fixed Core Augs not showing on the end screen if the counting animation is skipped.
Fixed the Trader floating in mid-air when upside-down in Watergrav.
Fixed Very Safe Labs spawning slightly inside the ceiling when upside-down in Watergrav.
Corpses on ceilings now properly flip their orientation in Watergrav.
The player is now affected by gravity after (not during) a boss door transition.
Spring Knights now respect the laws of gravity while swinging their mace.
Fixed an issue where in online co-op, pausing in Clockzone's end chunk, then unpausing, would cause many Flapps to appear at once.
Fixed an issue where replaying the tutorial and quitting mid-way would trick the game into thinking the tutorial hadn't been completed, forcing you to complete it again.
Fixed Dally sometimes spawning inside a wall or in the air in Mega Mode's HQ.
Fixed the Leg Guardian visually shifting around when changing directions while dashing.
Fixed a weird transition when selecting Mega Mode after completing the tutorial.
Fixed a bug causing Rocket Beam to deal far more damage than intended when combined with multiple projectiles.
Fixed Sage Beam not properly casting Autodrone Fusions properly.
Fixed Shield Statues being offset half a tile from their Maker placements.
Fixed an issue where dead enemies could occasionally still block movements of other enemies.
Fixed an issue causing fully charged extra Nina projectiles to not pierce slain enemies.
Fixed a long-standing issue causing Echocave Digspikes (blue pathblock spikes) to appear permanently active.
Fixed an error causing some level themes to display their later backgrounds early.
Fixed the visuals on many of Nina's beams for the other player in online co-op.
Fixed an error causing L'il Hoot's damage to not properly scale with familiar level or Repro damage.
Thorned Hull effectiveness reduced to 1 ATK per 30 Bonus HP. Additional copies of Thorned Hull (say, from Hysteria) have no effect. (It was already a once-per-run Aug.)
Juiced Reserves is still 1 PWR per 20 Bonus NRG, but also now obeys the new non-stacking rule above.
Fixed the Trader occasionally behaving poorly in Mega Mode.
Removed a few Delta Conditions from Mega Mode that didn't make a ton of sense.
Fixed a weird Delta animation bug that could occur when defeating him.
Fixed boss health bars going into the negatives when dealing a lot of damage to the boss in one hit.
Fixed bosses living slightly longer than their depleted health bars would suggest.
Fixed a long-standing online co-op issue where the host's tiles could appear glitchy for a moment when coming out of a Teleporter.
Fixed Slot Machines sometimes giving more rewards than they should in community mode.
Fixed many objects despawning in community mode when crossing or spanning large distances.
Fixed Sonicrabs sometimes being able to walk off ceilings.
NRG should no longer drain during scenes where the player can't control their character.
End-of-level items no longer drop in community mode (they don't do anything in that mode).
Fixed Lethal Tempo dropping a broken item when defeated in Ellie's Gauntlet.
Void Persistence now properly makes the scythe stick to walls.
Fixed Gauntlet teleporters being offset too far down when on a ceiling in Watergrav.
Fixed weird downward movement when transitioning through boss gates.
Fixed some Aug names overlapping with their descriptions in the pause menu.