Destroy The Monoliths was released last week, and, first of all, a huge thanks for your support and interest! Things actually went a bit better than what I was expecting, so that's great! I'm really enjoying seeing players engage with the game and have fun. You also shared a lot of useful feedback to help me improve things further, and I'm really grateful for that!
I already released a couple of patches to fix some annoying bugs and better balance the game. Today, I am releasing a new one that also reworks a few buildings I was not entirely happy with (and player feedback confirmed changes were needed!). So let's dive into the details!
Automated mining rework
I reworked a few buildings related to automated mining. It was quite tedious to use the drill, and it was sometimes missing shots. I reduced the size of the building (now 1x1) and also its range so that it will only hit the 8 adjacent blocks. It is now completely reliable and can thus be used with blocks generators to mine resources.
Also, I tweaked the tech tree to make the drill a child of the matter generator (it was previously the other way around). Th reason is that using a drill without generators would not make sense because it is quite expensive and would serve only once.
That's why I added a variation as a new building with no tech dependencies. I'm glad to present the One-use drill! It is very cheap and will destroy blocks around before killing itself. It can actually be a fast way to mine the terrain. It saves time, but costs a bit of resources.
The Cryogenic freezer had the same issue as the drill so I reworked it as well. It no longer shoots shells and will simply freeze its 8 adjacent blocks (again, it is now a 1x1 building).
I believe these changes make these buildings a lot more reliable and efficient, and thus satisfying to use. I can't wait to see what you will come up with! Also, a few tweaks might be necessary for the sake of balance, so please don't hesitate to share your feedback on this.
What is next?
That's the main changes for this patch. You can read the full changelog below.
My top priority for the next few weeks remains to fix bugs and improve the game balance. But also to keep spreading the word about Destroy The Monoliths. I hope many more new players will join the community in the near future! And I will probably also need to take some rest at some point, it has been a very busy year :)
Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
-Radiant Sloth
Changelog - v1.0c
Added
Added a new hidden achievement
Added a new building (One-use drill)
Changed
Nerfed the Twin explosived relic (now reduces shells damage by 10%)
Nerfed the Parallel targeting relic (now reduces shells damage by 15%)
Nerfed the Bouncing shells relic (shells now loose 50% attack power after a bounce)
Changed arrows description to mention their lack of accuracy
The Colossus will attack more often
Buffed the health scaling of elites, titans and Colossus enemies
Reworked how the Drill works (smaller range but more reliable) (+ is now unlocked by the matter generator in the tech tree)
Reworked the Cryogenic freezer (smaller range but more reliable)
Reworked the Bouncing drill relic into Armed drill
Nerfed Sonic boomerang against the Colossus (the piercing will hit less times)
Fixed
Fixed the aim ray not showing a second marker on the ground when using shells with the Twin explosives relic
With a demo release behind us, you could take a glance at a charming Chinese setting. Watch its buildings, beautiful surroundings and connect with divine powers – all of that starting but with a little altar. Some of you may feel as if you already know every river by heart… but what if we told you that what you've seen so far is not a final map?
NEW MAP
You’ve heard us well – the current map, the one you know from playtests and a demo, was made just for purposes of testing Celestial Empire. We are happy to finally present you with our progress on one of the final maps! Let's have a dive into details, shall we? :)
This map is heavily inspired by some interesting Chinese land formations. It’s diverse, filled with hills, rocks, stone structures and cut by many winding rivers. All that, just to show you how amazing some parts of vast Chinese swaths can be.
NEW MAP'S GAMEPLAY
But how will a different terrain affect players? Well, you could’ve already realized that placing your buildings around natural resources is crucial in Celestial Empire. This map will give you a little bit more of a challenge, because of rivers, winding the land, thus hindering access to some parts of the map, its resources and limiting space for your architectural creations. So this map, in terms of difficulty, is a hard one. Available resources will also vary in the placement and quantity of the deposits, depending on the map you've chosen.
MAP SELECTION
At the beginning of a new game, there will be some starting maps to choose from freely. Each one of them will be handcrafted, thus polished with the utmost care, to reflect the beauty of China’s natural environment. Each one of the maps poses a different challenge and highlights different aspects of Chinese lands. There will be few maps' difficulty levels, so no worries, as easier maps will also be available. A normal map will provide you with much more free space for your buildings. You will be able to choose which one suits you best. Pick your favorite, pick your fighter! Or… just try them all for a varied experience :D
Let us know in the comments what you think of our new map! Do you, perhaps, have some part of China you would love to be portrayed in the game? And don’t forget to join our discord, so we can hear from you and have a lively discussion.
In our latest Dev Diary episode, we had the pleasure of hosting Will Chambers, software engineer extraordinaire at Oxide Games. Will gave us fascinating insights about Ara's innovative AI system and how it's shaping up to revolutionize gameplay in the world of grand strategy.
Delving into the heart of Ara’s Leaders, Will unveiled the groundbreaking approach taken to fashion an AI that mirrors human cognitive processes. Ara's AI doesn't just make decisions; it ponders and strategizes like a human, weighing short-term and long-term goals, and adapting based on new information. All of this takes place while the player is strategizing, allowing for seamless simultaneous turns.
Each leader in Ara is characterized by a set of traits that significantly influence their strategic approach. Some are driven by expansion, aiming to grow their domains through warfare, while others fortify their capital with technological and cultural innovations.
Diving into the diplomacy system with Ara’s AI opens up a world of possibilities. Whether you aim to establish trade routes or forge new alliances, there are incredible advantages to be seized. But, proceed with caution! AI Leaders will always seek out diplomatic arrangements that work to their advantage. A tempting research agreement may grant you access to the technologies you missed, but the AI is given similar access, and could end up climbing to Tier 1 because of it!
Ara's AI is ready to offer a challenging yet thrilling experience for players both experienced and new to the genre. If you’re ready to learn more, check out the full episode on our YouTube channel, and don't forget to hit that subscribe button for more thrilling Dev Diary updates!
Join Community Manager Veeraah alongside Team Yeti from the Sixth Star Showdown event in a Community Livestream! Members of Team Yeti will be sharing their progress on the Sixth Star Showdown event while spending time together hanging out! Grab your snacks and prepare for an adventure of fun in this upcoming livestream. Join us on any of the platforms listed below this Thursday, November 9 at 4:00 PM PST (7:00 PM EST).
There will also be giveaways throughout the stream! We will be giving away some of our exclusive community merch, such as Acrylic Stands and AcrylicKeychains, so you won't want to miss out on the fun~ See you Thursday!
We are excited to announce that your first chance to play Neon Override is here! From November 10 - 12 we will be hosting a pre-alpha playtest of the game, and it will be your chance to give feedback and help shape what the game will become in the future! You'll be able to play through the first waves of the game, enhance your character with over a hundred different upgrades and test out three different weapons and three different traits!
Signing up for the pre-alpha is simple; simply join the Discord server that we have available right here! Once you're inside, check out the channel #prealpha-access for more details. This discord will be the primary location to hear more about the development of the game as well as the best place to leave your feedback, so definitely come by and say hi to all of us here!
We can't wait to hear all about your runs through Neon Override this weekend!
Player units and structures are now build automatically Removed all contextual sub-menus Added sniper unit Serializer can now restore to earlier save points Guns can now overheat causing units to self-destruct Cleaned up enemy unit/projectile locking/target selection Altered mission 1 terrain Each individual unit type now tracks their own hold-position Made units orient toward their target Fixed save hang bug when saving while delivering a powerup Fixed unserialized vehicles moving through ground when saved while on production platform Fixed particle-terrain collision fall throughs Emitter projected motion vector normalization fix Fixed looping emitters lifetime bug Slowed down enemy projectiles Vehicles now fire in rotary fashion (opposed to firing all at once) Fixed enemy projectiles spawn by sentinels not being targetable Fixed crash caused by drone trying to airlift unit that has already been destroyed
Decorate your Steam profile with our brand new Goodbye Volcano High Community Items! We’ve got badges, stickers, avatars, and more for you to showcase your GVH love! <3
Earn Community Items through playing, or grab your faves in the Points Shop!
Thank you so much to everyone who tuned in today to watch The Festival of Gup and help celebrate the past 10 years of Risk of Rain! We also hope you’ve enjoyed seeing some of our future plans for the franchise.
Missed the event? No worries! We have a recap for ya right here so you can see all the awesome things going on for Risk of Rain!
Risk of Rain 2: Seekers of the Storm
Seekers of the Storm is the second expansion for Risk of Rain 2! This expansion is LOADED with tons of content, new survivors, maps, monsters, and more! It also debuts our first stage with day-and-night versions! Those impact gameplay and grant access to new areas within the stage.
Stay tuned for more details about this expansion, but while you wait you can check out the first Dev Diary where you'll hear from our Loremaster Kayla Larson, Associate Art Lead Claire Bian, and Managing Director of Production James Lopez. They will give you a first look at the mysterious False Son.
Starting TODAY you can challenge yourself by diving into progressively stronger runs! With additional Survivors, stages, items, mechanics, and a remastered soundtrack, Risk of Rain: Returns is loaded with new ways to play, so no two runs will ever be the same.
Act fast because for a short period Risk of Rain: Returns will have a 15% discount to celebrate its launch!
Risk of Rain will be making its debut on mobile with Risk of Rain: Hostile Worlds!
Developed by Frima Studio, Risk of Rain: Hostile Worlds brings the franchise to life for the first time ever on mobile featuring Risk of Rain's signature fast-paced action that merges the excitement of bullet hell roguelikes and action RPGs with hero collecting.
This latest addition to the Risk of Rain canon brings a beloved universe to mobile devices, enabling players to take their favorite franchise on the go.
Risk of Rain: Hostile Worlds will be available on iOS and Android. Sign up today for our mailing list and join our social channels to stay informed!
Risk of Rain 2: Survivors of the Void - Now on Console
Risk of Rain 2: Survivors of the Void, the game’s first expansion, is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. This expansion features two Survivors—the skillful markswoman Railgunner, and the eldritch monstrosity Void Fiend—and the endless Simulacrum game mode, as well as new items, stages, and more.
Risk of Rain 2 has also received a free, substantial overhaul of the core game for all players on consoles, future-proofing the title for faster bug fixes, performance improvements, and more content across all platforms.
This update is live NOW on consoles! If you want to take a peek at Survivors of the Void right here on Steam you can head over here:
We’re collaborating with Youtooz to bring you a Risk of Rain drop! Celebrate the Festival of Gup with your very own Gup and Acrid plushies. Pre-orders are coming soon, so stay tuned and follow Youtooz for more exciting updates.
Thank you, everyone, for joining us today, we look forward to the next 10 years of Risk of Rain!
The Heroic Legend of America: Second Revolutionary War - 特利安☆Torian
Thanks to the support and encouragement of our friends, now that the basic system and gameplay have matured, the next step is to constantly update the content.