Hello everyone! I hope you're doing well and enjoying playing and discovering the world of Noreya. We've received a lot of feedback, help in finding bugs, ideas, and suggestions. Thank you all for your participation <3
Yesterday, on Friday, November 17th, we released patch "0.4.5," marking the transition between patches 0.4 and 0.5. We've added quite a few things in this patch, including content that was supposed to be in 0.6/0.7! In a way, 0.5 takes longer to arrive, but subsequent updates will be faster.
Here are the highlights of this update.
STEAM CLOUD
You asked for it, and we planned to integrate it. Your save will now follow you on all your devices!
We've also completely reworked our implementation of the Steam SDK and updated the game engine, which caused many bugs last time. So, we spent 2 days testing it on many different machines.
You shouldn't have any more controllers or other issues now.
This kernel update was crucial as it brings many performance improvements, especially for Steamdeck, Linux, and Mac.
Regarding Mac: we are still stuck, and we are looking for a solution. The old version worked very well, but the new versions won't... We haven't forgotten about you. Thank you for your patience.
Biome 5: The World Tree, in progress
Update 0.5, named "The Fallen King," will give you access to a new area, Biome 5: The World Tree! To prepare for this update, we've added decorations to a map in Biome 1, "Valsanre Forest." This "endgame" area will increase the difficulty, especially in terms of platforming. It won't be entirely revealed in the next patch because this zone includes a second sub-area: The Forgotten Fortress, which will be the subject of a future update.
New Monster Variations
It's a classic in metroidvania games. However, when we worked on the game, we only imagined "unique" monsters because we thought it would be more interesting. As development progresses, we realize how vital these variations are because they allow for easier monsters at the beginning and stronger ones later on. I'll write a future article explaining specifically how our monster management works as you progress through the game (somewhat like Zelda BotW and TotK). So, don't be surprised to see new variations arriving with each update! That's, I think, the three most significant additions in this update. Here is the complete list.
PATCH NOTE:
Additions:
STEAM CLOUD
New version of the "kernel" Electron and change of the Steamwork SDK, which should bring better performance (all platforms combined) without blocking controllers.
Biome 5 junction in Biome 1 (World Tree) to be opened in the next patch.
Headless Zombie
Crazy Zombie
VFX Explosion against BOSS 3 (unnamed yet)
New areas to explore in Biome 4 "Cathedral."
Respawn outside the BOSS room in case of defeat, allowing you to leave if you don't want to face it again (applies to all bosses).
Improved "multi-line" health gauge in-game UI and menus.
Improved jump to make it more responsive (Shisheyu's feedback).
Opening new paths in Biome 3 that were kept closed until now (but still accessible for players who "search").
Bug Fixes:
Language retrieved via Steam data.
Missing scripting Camera bug.
Zombies no longer move after attacking.
BOSS Golden Widow: If you jump at the same time she breaks the ground, it can create several problems/bugs.
BOSS Golden Widow: Behavior issue when she is invisible if you back into the wall.
BOSS Golden Widow: Canceling a jump if you jump before she breaks the ground.
BOSS Golden Widow: Spider webs do not disappear after a restart.
BOSS Golden Widow: Ghost gets stuck on the previous floor.
SkillTree PV Bonus not taken into account when choosing "continue a game."
Losing control of Kali when returning to the starting map.
Regaining control of Kali in the middle of dialogues/tutorials.
Inconsistent health bar when changing maps.
Poison drops do not have a regular behavior on slopes.
BOSS 3 (unnamed yet): remains motionless at the beginning of the fight.
Exiting the game during a map transition does not cut the music.
Map corruption in a new game after manually deleting game data.
Small spiders count as "killed enemies."
Night Vision makes the entire room visible before the intro.
BOSS Gold Iath: Wave stuck in the door, generating infinite sound.
Improved BOSS loot placement.
Ghost Assassin cannot touch the player.
B3_15_L specific crash with Ghost Assassin.
Shockwave gets stuck.
Strange jump behavior when reading a stele.
B1_07 collision boxes visible.
B1_07 exit trigger not big enough.
B3_09_02_G: rework.
B2_01 and B2_05_1 several monsters appearing in the void.
B1_09 and B3_14_2_L blocking an accidental exit by "the ceiling."
B3_08_L switch not working.
B3_14_5_L missing "temporary" door, leading to a "No Spawn in map xxx" error.
Dying against Crawley sometimes unintentionally exits the map.
"Lootable" objects that go behind.
B2_17_1 map improvement to avoid cheating that could lead to subsequent errors/softlocks.
B2_23 added ceiling webs.
FIX some spikes that were not on the right layer.
FIX Spawn B2_23_2.
Added wooden walkways to prevent players from falling when arriving in B2_23_1.
Fix torches that "fly" in some maps after killing BOSS Golden Widow.
B3_14_L map improvement.
B2_10 and B2_10_2 correction of exits.
B3_13 added an exit on the ceiling.
B2_24 monsters generating a Spawnkill.
B4_13 misplaced light/curtains.
B4_12 fix elevator => OOB.
Bug with the counting of gold nuggets in the UI.
The position of BOSS that remains on the map even defeated.
Fixed a bug that replaced too much of DEADGHOST's blinking Xs when the epilepsy setting was turned on, thanks to Nelo390 for reporting it on our discord server.
Several new systems at least partially introduced and used to make up a short story introduction when new games start.
Merchant Trade - One of your main ways to trade is with the merchant ship captain. They arrive periodically bringing goods to your kingdom. Once you build the appropriate docks they will be able to dock their ship instead of just rowing a small boat to shore, allowing you to trade for farm animals, horses, and large shipments of goods.
Rowboats - These are used by the merchant ship captain to deliver small goods, visitors, and new immigrants, as well as for the fishing industry where you can row out on the ocean, lakes, and rivers to fish... or just relax.
Immigration - New villagers are brought to your kingdom by the merchant boat captain. Rowing them to shore is one way to get them to land.
Dynamic Story - The characters and story text are dynamic based on your new game choices and party selection.
Honestly, I hadn't planned on making a post on the Steam Community today, but something happened over on Discord that just made my day, and I couldn't resist sharing it with you all (with dad's authorization, of course!).
Meet the youngest wargamer out there (at least officially, from what I know!)—young Zalán, who turned 9 today! Happy birthday, buddy!
He's a huge fan of HoS and got his birthday cake designed based on the game—how crazy (and lovely) is that?!
Here's a picture of the special cake:
Now, I'm aware most of us are grown-ups here, but hey, who's up for a cake competition? Just saying... we could totally organize something, haha!
While we're mostly adults, the sheer enthusiasm of a young fan celebrating with a game-themed cake is contagious, right?
Take care, everyone, and I hope this brings a smile to your face as it did to mine. 😊