Hello to all players of "The Lost Village",

We've recently received much feedback from a lot of players, as well as some fair criticism🗣️. For instance, many players have found the Dungeon to be long and tedious😬, or expressed concerns about excessive resource farming. We hear you, and are actively striving to solve these issues❓.

Also, Tranlation mistakes, we know that.....
In this update, we're introducing Illusion Raiding, greatly enhancing reward earnings💰, and introducing Offline Disciple Challenges. That is, once a player has passed a realm, they can send a disciple to raid instead of repeatedly grinding for materials. This is especially so for Dungeon. After overcoming the challenge once, players need not fight again, and instead, can send disciples to hold fort⚔️.

We've also modified the way you obtain Taoist Point - players are no longer required to clear specific stages to get it. This reduces the pressure to grind.

Other updates include:

• Out World: Added main city from "Immortal Life": Mu Zhou
  
• Out World: New sect from "Immortal Life": Guiyuan sect (renamed from original Gui Yuan sect. to "Canglan Sect") along with Guiyuan disciples
  
• Prestige Store: Added related elixirs and recipes from the "Immortal Life"
  
• Faith Store: Introduced seeds related to "Immortal Life" crossover (Category - Materials)
  
• Opened Illusion Raid: Trial Tower/Illusion Real/Dungeon. Players can now dispatch disciples to train in cleared illusion realm and earn resources.
  
• Optimized Disciple AI so they don't stand idle during battle
  
• Sect Encyclopedia now includes English illustrations for our English players
  
• Modified Taoist Point completion setup - no specific level clearance needed
  
• Introduced Gender Change Elixir, which allows the alteration of disciple's gender

• Fixed a bug that messed up attack notification after saving and reloading during an attack
  
• Fixed a bug that caused Raiding to continue even when paused
  
• Fixed a bug that only delivered one piece of equipment when purchasing multiple in the store
  
• Fixed the lag problem in Illusion Realm
  
• Resolved the missing recipes issue
  
• Adjusted initial disciple coordinates for the Penglai sect, fixing the issue of the master and disciples ending up underground

Hi everyone!

Let’s start with something small for this 2nd dev update.

Let’s start with befores and afters, they are always interesting to watch as time passes by and as we plan, build, improve and iterate through it.

The first one is on Moss Caves:



This one is a great example of the iterative process that goes into development.

In addition to the absolute visual difference, which for us is so mesmerizing to watch, there’s an interesting outcome of this iteration: make it harder!

On the before part, when we even had a pink rabbit and the scene was only blocks, we only had two enemies shooting at us while we were taking the elevator up.

Through internal testing, we eventually realized it was a bit too easy (considering the section of the game - a couple of hours in) and we decided to bump the difficulty a bit and add a third enemy so players can practice the skills they have been sharpening.

It also was reported that it was hard and frustrating to get out of the elevator at the top because, sometimes we would hit the platform above. So, we opened the “ceiling” and made the drop off easier.

We also added sections that can only be accessed later on by unlocking other abilities. Which is a must in a metroidvania and makes you think about level design in a much deeper way.

So yeah, even though it’s a small portion of the game, there’s a considerable amount of iteration that went through, and we thought it could be interesting to share with you.

---

Here’s another before and after worth sharing with you, a simpler one but with an important lesson: keep it simple!



In this section here, while testing, we noticed many people didn’t get the jump at the first try.

It was too hard to start with.

Eventually leading to some players feeling a bit moody at the start, which is not ideal when beginning a game.

So, we eventually shortened the gap and made the jump easier, to smooth the player experience.

But all in all, the visuals are what takes a big chunk of our time. Just take a minute to appreciate all the details that go in!

Let's be honest, that’s why we made this dev update, just to share the fantastic evolution with you guys. And perhaps share some game dev insights along the way. ;)

---

And to conclude this dev update on iteration - on befores and afters - the last content we wanna share with you brings one of the oldest lessons to the table: sketch it first! (even if it is a quick sketchy mess that you and the illustrator have to decipher)



Sketching is probably one of the most essential parts of game development in more areas.

Getting your ideas on paper helps you think and visualize them with more clarity. Plus you can share it with other people and get their opinion rather quickly.

Sometimes the end product comes out different from the sketch, but that’s good. That’s the iterative process of trial and error working its way.

Or sometimes it comes out exactly as you sketched it, like the one above. (If the illustrator is able to decipher it)

---

If you liked this update then consider adding Rabbit's Tale to your wishlist!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1763860/Rabbits_Tale/

Until then, follow us on socials for more regular updates: Twitter | TikTok | Facebook | Instagram

Be the herald of the Collapse, and lead your people into a new world...

High Tide - the free update for Total War: PHARAOH - arrives January 25th!



Find out more about the High Tide update here.

—The Total War Team

Has it really been almost 8 years since our last livestream?!? 😱

Join us for our triumphant return on Jan 18th at 2 PM EST as the devs play the game and answer your questions!

👉Twitch page: https://www.twitch.tv/spearheadgames

From January 18 (17:00 CET) to February 15 (10:00 CET), put yourself to the test with Winter Challenges from our Community Team!

Winter Challenges consist of four rounds, each round starts Thursdays at 17:00 CET and ends the following Thursday at 10:00 CET. You can earn 1 to 10 points within each round, which will be counted towards the final result. The event is won by the player who receives the highest number of points at the end of all four rounds. 

Join the dedicated Discord channel now, and await further instructions!
Record a video displaying your skills in All or Nothing with your Avalon Seasonal Units to earn points. Check out the rules in Discord. 
Do you know who the Lady of the Lake was? How many knights sat at the Round Table? In round two of the Winter Challenges, you must answer questions related to Arthurian legends on a dedicated thread (separate for NA and EU). The first player to answer the question correctly will receive 5 points, the next one will receive 4 points, and the last person will receive 1 point.

At the end of the round, the points will be added up and the top 10 players will receive the appropriate points on a scale from 1 to 10, which will be included in the overall score.
Prepare a clip about your greatest victories in Conqueror's Blade (maximum length of 60 seconds), and share it in Discord for your fellow Warlords to vote on. Editing is fine, as is using archived video materials. Third party materials and copyrighted music is not permitted.
The Community Team will take on the role of Avalon Knights; but are they friend or foe? Your task is to defeat the Avalon Knights in a team of 10-12 players via a Custom Lobby, and earn points. The timings for the tournaments will be posted on Discord, and there will be a maximum of 10 games. After completing all 10 games, the team that defeats the Avalon Knights in the shortest time will receive 10 points (each competitor will receive 10 points), the team that takes second place will receive 9 points and so on.
The overall prizes are as follows:

• 1st Place: 6,000 Sovereigns, 20x Artificer’s Stones, 30-day Premium Account 
• 2nd Place: 2,000 Sovereigns, 20x Artificer’s Stones, 30-day Premium Account 
• 3rd Place: 1,000 Sovereigns, 20x Artificer’s Stones, 30-day Premium Account

There are also a few surprises in store for the top three, plus the 4th and 5th place winners! 

The rewards up for grabs for the best score in each round include Golden Keys, Lotus Water, Artillery Chests and more! Specific rules for each round will apply, so read the threads carefully on the dedicated Discord channel before entering. 

IMPORTANT: In the event of two players attaining the same score, they will be tied and both receive the same reward. 

Dear contestants,

since the testing began on January 12th, we appreciate everyone's feedback and suggestions while experiencing the game. As a result, we have decided to document the updates to the playtest version here.

——————————Jan 24th——————————

Optimization Adjustments:
· Audio Update for The Annihilation and The Satirist & Music Update
· Supplies Effect Update

· Field Interference Modifications:
1. "Homing Missile" and "Celestial Beam" now have a 4-second cool-down.
2. The damage interval of "Lightning Field" and "Celestial Beam" has been increased.
3. The range of "Ballistic Dampening" has been reduced, and the damage reduction effect has been improved.
4. The range and tracking speed of "Air Raid" and "Homing Missile" have been reduced.
5. Slightly increased the warning time for all interferences with warnings.
6. Interference such as Lightning Fields and Omni Enhancement will not appear in the first three levels.

Bug Fixes:
· Resolved the issue of being hit by unseen attack caused by network latency on multiple mode.
· Resolved the issue of some obstacles not blocking bullets on multiple mode.


——————————Jan 23th——————————

Optimization Adjustments:

· Change the mouse cursor icon and add dynamic effects to make the cursor more prominent.
· In team mode, ensure that the monster's attack power is the same for multiplayer as for solo play, while reducing the bonuses to monster health and tenacity bar.
· In team mode, add the Spider Boss and Minotaur Boss to the random pool.
· In team mode, starting from difficulty level 2, ensure that defeating a Boss will guarantee a drop of the Yita.
· Controller optimization: Change the personal information shortcut key to "select" and simultaneously support remapping of trigger keys.
· Reduce the explosion radius of the "Farewell Gift" disturbance in the arena by 33%.
· Decrease the damage of the "Miasma Flux" and "Farewell Gift" disturbances in the arena.
· The remapping interface cannot be closed when key remapping is incomplete.
· The lyre's armor pieces will no longer block the health deduction effect in fate rooms.

Bug Fixes:

· Fix the bug where Jean's heavy attack does not restore energy.
· Correct the data error in combat rating.
· In team mode, fix the issue where some obstacles do not block bullets.
· Fix the problem where the controller cannot select the team difficulty.

——————————Jan 22th——————————

Optimizations and Adjustments:

· Added relic refreshing; now the refresh attempts can also refresh relics.
· In team mode, when a boss is defeated, a relic reset opportunity is dropped.
· Revised the transformation of Taisuke's heavy attack in 2-1.
· Adjusted the Prosthetic set slashing effect—each heavy attack increases the duration by 0.3 seconds, and the effect is cleared after the battle ends.
· After a single battle exceeds 2 minutes, the score no longer increases likes.
· Attribute "Lightning Field" at levels 2/3 adjusted to generate 2/3 small electric fields.
· Monsters with "Sweep" lasers now have normal hitboxes matching their visual effects.
· Added resilience bar protection mechanism; during the resilience recovery period, resilience won't be affected.
· Enhanced visual effects for player deaths in team mode.
· Unified the expression logic for Prosthetic's attributes and secondary attribute levels.
· Iterated on some visual effects and sound effects.
· Gamepad optimizations:
· Custom key mapping now allows trigger keys and left shoulder keys.
· Support for using the D-pad for up, down, left, and right movements.
· Support for viewing room descriptions above using the gamepad.
· Support for viewing arena disruptions using the gamepad.
· Added gamepad button prompts for the Prosthetic interface.
· Changed the long press of B to skip dialogues to a direct click.

Bug Fixes:

· Fixed an issue with the kill enemy effect in relics miscalculating one.
· Resolved the problem where Taisuke's heavy attack would be interrupted at the end of the Fragility Space.
· Fixed the occasional issue of getting stuck when transitioning layers in single-player challenges.
· Fixed the sorting and filtering issues in Prosthetic disassembly.
· Fixed the display issue when switching Prosthetic with or without set effects.
· Fixed the issue where the revival-triggered creation of Fragility Space didn't take effect.
· Fixed the probability of selecting Prosthetic not matching the actual chosen one.
· Fixed the problem where the life-stealing drive was not added to the random pool.
· Fixed the issue where shop prices didn't decrease when there was an increase.
· Fixed UI misalignment bug after re-entering due to disconnection.


——————————Jan 21th——————————

Optimization adjustments:
· Enhanced the feel of Taisuke's basic attack transformation with a three-hit combo.
· Reduced the resilience of Taisuke's heavy attack transformation darts.
· When closely engaged in "Sweep," you won't take excessive bullets, preventing instant defeat.
· Reduced bullet damage by 70% during "Sweep."
· Reduced tracking speed and lifespan of the attribute "Celestial Beam" by 30%.
· Bullets generated by the attributes "Celestial Beam" and "Homing Missile" now have an upper limit.
· Adjusted relic icons to reduce duplication.
· Team members, even if not the leader, can now destroy bullets.
· Optimized team synchronization solution (effects may be limited, further improvements tomorrow).

Bug fixes:
· Fixed an issue where obtained Taisuke relics didn't match the selected ones.
· Fixed an issue in team play where there were driver chances, but no actual revival occurred.


——————————Jan 19th——————————

Optimizations and Adjustments:
· Added a commentator boss encounter in single-player mode within special challenge rooms.
· Enhanced visual effects for Jean's buffering armor when blocking damage.
· Reduced the recovery time for Jean's ultimate ability.
· Yan's ultimate ability now refreshes its duration with consecutive use.
· Players gain invincibility after the battle ends (preventing interference from traps or arena disturbances).
· Team Play: Approximately 30% reduction in the 3rd-floor boss's health, and about a 10% reduction in the 6th-floor boss's health.
· Team Play: Fixed an issue with the 9th-floor boss not spawning minions on difficulties 7/8/9/10; increased boss tenacity and spawn point distance.
· Single Player: Increased spider tenacity on difficulties 2-20 and resolver tenacity on difficulties 3-30.
· Players can still control their character after winning in team play (now able to pick up loot crates).
· Attribute "Inflation" level 1 reduced from 30% to 25%, level 2 removed.
· Attribute "Auxiliary Heart Interference" effects per level reduced from 20%/40%/60% to 15%/30%/45%.

Bug Fixes:
· Fixed an issue where the vitality set effect was not working.
· Corrected description inaccuracies for attribute levels 2-3.
· Resolved a bug where Jean's ultimate ability wouldn't interrupt monsters' actions.
· Fixed an alignment issue between The Mashed's ground-smashing skill effect and the actual attack position.
· Addressed a bug where, during the driver selection screen, multiple tab key presses could result in interface freezing.
· Fixed the issue where the escape button was ineffective on the fusion driver display interface.


——————————Jan 18th——————————

Optimization Adjustments:

· Jean's weapon prosthesis modification: Added The Analysis mechanism. When the perfect evasion is triggered during the defense skill, gain 1 armor plate. Armor plates are consumed when receiving
· damage exceeding 10% of health, causing Jean to only lose 10% health per plate (with armor plates, Jean can lose a maximum of 10% health each time).
· Added joystick remapping function.
· In the fragility space, players will no longer take any damage.
· Improved the orientation of team boss spawns.
· Fusion Driver synthesis prompt added in team mode.
· Arena disturbance - Environmental disturbance cooldown increased.
· Arena disturbance - Decreased probability of damage-related attributes appearing.
· Arena disturbance - Electromagnetic storm: Decreased knockback ability.
· Arena disturbance - Jet stream: Reduced hit detection time, decreased knock-up ability.
· In team mode, teleporters appear 3 seconds later.
· Supply item model optimization.

Bug Fixes:

· Fixed the issue where high-level equipment did not have attributes above level 2.
· Fixed an issue in team mode where picking up a treasure chest displayed floating text for other team members.
· Fixed the team settlement interface displaying the entire team's rewards instead of individual rewards.
· Monster - Fixed abnormal range of explosion impact caused by The Analysis launch.
· Arena disturbance - Fixed the issue of randomly getting 2 environmental disturbances on the same floor.
· Fixed the issue where difficulty 4 default settings couldn't be seen.
· Fixed the interface not updating when switching between joystick and mouse controls.
· Prosthesis effect description correction.
· Fixed the issue where the joystick couldn't select equipped prosthesis.
· Fixed the problem of joining a room that doesn't exist.
· Fixed the issue of Yann playing Jean's sound effect when hit.


——————————Jan 17th——————————

Optimization Adjustments:

· Added customizable combat keybindings (currently only supports keyboard remapping, not yet available for controllers).
· Reduced the minimum required heat for unlocking the next difficulty level in team matches from 6 to 3.
· Increased rewards for low-level tasks in team matches and raised the probability of obtaining advanced equipment.
· Limited the summoning times for field disturbances [Reinforcement - Patrol] and [Reinforcement -Explosive Formation] to 5 times.
· Optimized the supply model for acceleration.

Yan weapon modification:
· Normal attacks drop healing packs on hitting the enemy's last hit --> Repair Essence limit increased by +5, each point of Repair Essence increases normal attack damage by 8%.
· Heavy attacks drop healing packs when consuming healing essence --> Each point of Repair Essence speeds up energy reserve recovery by 10%.
· Ultimate hits drop healing packs --> When releasing the ultimate, self-shield is increased by 50%.
· Performance optimization for low-spec models.

Issue Fixes:

· Optimized the problem of elite monsters [Shock] not stopping after hitting a wall.
· Fixed the laser problem of boss monsters [Analysis] in the boss fight.
· Fixed the issue of special effects disappearing but the effects persisting in the field disturbances [Thunder Field] and [Slow Field] under weakened conditions.
· Fixed the occasional problem of only one wave of 4 monsters appearing in levels 21-29 of single-player difficulty 3 and 4.
· Fixed the issue where failing to kill the 9th-floor boss in team matches would still unlock subsequent difficulties.
· Fixed the problem of some team members' buff effects not synchronizing in team matches.
· Fixed the issue of some driver and relic effects triggering incorrectly in team matches.
· Fixed the issue with Aggregation Drive [Data Recovery] only healing the team leader in team matches.
· Fixed the problem where triggering [Hormone Energy] and [Xia] simultaneously with Taijie weapons modification would not activate [Xia].
· Fixed the issue with Yan weapons modification [Hormone Energy] not having a healing effect.
· Fixed the incorrect gamepad button prompts in the album interface.
· Fixed the issue where pressing the Enter key while entering a room number in the team interface was ineffective.
· Fixed conflicts between the personal information interface and the driver selection interface in certain situations.
· Fixed the issue of new save files getting stuck in a level in certain special circumstances.


——————————Jan 16th——————————

Optimizations and Adjustments:

· Monsters - Reduced the probability of [The Shock] not stopping after hitting a wall
· Arena Interference - Damage from damage-type arena interferences reduced by 50%
· Arena Interference - Increased warning before triggering [Storm Field] and [Laser]
· Arena Interference - [Missiles] now pause normally in weak spaces
· Arena Interference - [Storm Field], [Thunder Field], [Laser] now try to avoid appearing under the player’s feet
· Taisuke - Enhanced controls for a better gaming experience
· Fusion Driver - Added a prompt on the fusion table when synthesis is possible
· Tab Information Interface - Added display for “Rise Technologies Damage” and “Debilitation”
· Optimized and iterated on some visual effects

Bug Fixes:

· Teaming - Fixed an issue where there was a chance of being unable to enter
· Teaming - Fixed an issue where some effects would accumulate excessively during team battles
· Relics - Fixed an issue where consuming likes for life/attack did not take effect after resetting
· Taisuke - Fixed an issue where the material ball of the weapon was lost
· Arena Interference - Fixed an issue where air raid missiles had no effects when exploding after weak space ended
· Yan - Fixed an issue where the probability of releasing a heavy attack would not animate
· Driver - Fixed an icon error for Ascend and Inspire
· Driver - Fixed an error stating the whole team has xx Rise Technologies/Romani Biosciences/Assistant Drivers
· Driver - Fixed an issue with Fusion Driver “Physical Intrusion” lacking debilitation effect
· Driver - Removed the “Awaken Energies Enhancer” driver
· Revival - Fixed an issue where operations were required to be released and pressed again after revival
· Story - Fixed a character name issue in the cyborg unlocking story
· Resolution - Fixed an issue where the default resolution was not the default resolution of the computer device
· Prosthetic - Fixed a description missing issue in prosthetic information tips
· Shop - Fixed an issue where purchasing healing items in the shop and refreshing prevented further healing
· Fate Room - Fixed an issue where fate room healing, damage deduction, and changes to maximum health did not display text
· Assistant - Fixed an issue where the copy of the boss layer assistant did not follow the elevator


——————————Jan 15th——————————

Optimizations and Adjustments:
· Level 4 Relic - Increased chance to gain life on monster kill: Probability from 17% to 25%
· Level 4 Relic - Increased chance to gain damage on monster kill: Probability from 30% to 45%
· Driver - Reduced probability to gain attack speed supply: Probability down, increased attack speed, stackable only once
· Driver - Reduced probability to gain critical hit supply: Probability down, increased critical hit, stackable only once
· Driver - Reduced probability to gain shield supply: Probability down, increased shield duration, stackable only once
· Fusion Driver - Increased cooldown restriction for lightning chain energy supply
· Driver - Increased probability of flywheel attack: Base flywheel probability from 50% to 80%
· Fusion Driver - Each attack grants invincibility and a 5% shield with a probability: Shield duration from 5s to 8s
· Assistant - Electromagnetic Storm: Reduced cooldown, significantly increased pursuit speed of electromagnetic storm
· Assistant - Acceleration Ring: Reduced cooldown
· Assistant - Deceleration Ring: Reduced cooldown
· Taisuke - Weapon Modification - Small Invincible Slash: Increased duration, shortened recovery time
· Rewards and Drops: Significantly increased chip rewards
· First clear on Difficulty 2: Increased computing power reward
· Prosthetic Enhancement: Reduced alloy and computing power consumption, first 3 levels no longer consume computing power
· Arena Obstacles - Scene display attributes: Some attributes will no longer appear simultaneously
· Traps - Charging Piles, Laser optimization
· Database - Added red dot reminders

Bug Fixes:
· Prosthetic Set - Fixed an issue where extra layers of drive were obtained at the beginning
· Prosthetic - Corrected errors in some prosthetic descriptions and names
· Like Level - Fixed an issue where split like monsters didn't drop likes
· Arena Obstacles - Fixed an issue where extra spawned monsters didn't drop likes
· Taisuke - Fixed an issue where imprint was consumed before Heavy Attack was executed
· Arena Obstacles - Fixed an issue where the deceleration field caused reverse controls
· Fate Event - Fixed an issue where deducting 25% life for relic event could go negative if life was below 25%
· Other bug fixes

Gear up, Survivors! The moment you've eagerly awaited is almost here. We're thrilled to unveil the much-anticipated playable demo of Serum, set to launch on the 5th of February, immersing you in a gripping experience that extends throughout the entire duration of Steam NEXT Fest until the 12th of February.



Prepare for an unforgettable journey!

The countdown to adventure begins as you step into the dangerous, apocalyptic world of Serum. Brace yourself for an immersive experience where survival instincts and strategic thinking are your best allies. Uncover the secrets of the Blight-ravaged universe and delve into the mysteries held by the powerful elixir – Serum.

What awaits you in the demo?

Explore the gripping narrative as the menace unfolds, revealing a world in chaos and a desperate need for a cure. As the clock ticks, discover how Serum becomes not just a lifeline but a beacon of hope in a world teetering on the brink of destruction. Assume the role of Adam, a daring Serum tester, and navigate through a perilous environment, crafting weapons, brewing Serum varieties, and facing mutated monstrosities.

Your exclusive opportunity!

This will be your exclusive opportunity to get hands-on with Serum, shaping its destiny with your feedback. Join the discussion on our Discord, share your insights, and become a part of the Serum community as we pave the way for an adrenaline-pumping adventure.

Save the Date: February 5th, 2024

Mark your calendars for February 5th, 2024, as Serum's playable demo unleashes the apocalyptic thrill upon Steam NEXT Fest. The countdown to survival begins, and the adventure awaits. Get ready to dive straight into the action and unravel the mysteries of Serum!




As you brave the thrilling depths of Serum during Steam NEXT Fest, we also encourage you to venture into the frozen realms of Winter Survival, a masterfully crafted survival game by our esteemed friends at Drago Entertainment.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1394960/Winter_Survival/

In Winter Survival, you find yourself thrust into a harsh, snowy environment where the relentless cold becomes your greatest adversary. The Winter Survival demo will be available all throughout the upcoming Steam NEXT Fest!


We also invite you to dive into the uncharted territories of Occupy Mars, a survival game designed by Pyramid Games.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/758690/Occupy_Mars_The_Game/

In Occupy Mars, you navigate a challenging landscape of the Red Planet, and try to survive the harsh Martian conditions. Conquer the inhospitable terrain and uncover the secrets of Mars as you embark on a captivating adventure.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1610520

• -Fixed bug where swimming animation would not play properly in shallow water.
  
• -Fixed bug with setting screen resolution out of game.
  
• -Improvement to 16:10 screen resolution.
  
• -Necromancer "Soul Collector" now collects more souls for higher level enemies.
  
• -Necromancer "Spellbook of Death" is reworked so it now resets "Soul Collector" cooldown when slaining enemies with "Soul Collector" or "Execute"
  
• -Buff to Expert Book Of Earth

Multiplayer Issues

Hello there!
Today we're having a development stream, prop modeling as usual!

https://www.twitch.tv/wishdream



As usual you're also able to watch the stream right here on this post and on Fech's Steam page.

Stream ended! It was a quite chaotic one, riddled with technical difficulties on Raoul's end.

Here's a link to the VOD for those who missed the stream.