Mika and The Witch's Mountain - Chibig


Hey everyone! This is the second Delivery Update where we will be sharing these final stages of the development until the launch of the game, and today it’s time to introduce our charming NPCs and the camera:

NPCs
Orilla Town is the only place inhabited by a group of people on the whole island (though not the only place), but we have not yet introduced you to its inhabitants!

Workers: Sailors, Vendors, Farmers and more

A town by the sea needs a group of nostalgic but affable sailors who bring fresh fish every day. Curiously, you will never catch them fishing, because the fish in these waters are too elusive!



The cheerful vendors of Orilla Town fill the streets with their energy every day in search of new customers. Don't be fooled by their friendly faces and kind words, they may be trying to sell you something you don't need!



Soot & Fog Inc’s Smoke factory is Orilla Town's main source of workers, although it's not an easy or clean job. If you see someone stressed out, extremely tired, and with sooty clothes during your deliveries, it's probably one of the workers at the island's smoke factory.

Villagers: Kids, old people, Tourists, etc
When you walk through the streets of Orilla Town, you will discover the life that runs through them through its people: children playing, old people enjoying a well-deserved rest.



Mont Gaun may not be the most popular of all vacation destinations, but it is a little hidden gem for those looking for relaxation and, why not, some unexpected surprises.



Its beaches have nothing to envy those of the Mara Islands, and are much less crowded! There is plenty of space for strolling, making sand castles, and sunbathing.

And, of course, to have an ice cream!

Camera

As we have already shown, the camera in this case can be controlled freely. This is a very positive experience for the players, who have control over it and what they see at every moment, but it poses a lot of challenges for the development.



However, we have done some additional work that will help to generate a more immersive feeling and with a very remarkable visual result with these small adjustments:

Dialogues & Bubbles
In dialogues, the camera will automatically take a position to get a certain shot that shows the characters involved in the dialogue, more aesthetic and avoiding possible glitches between models.



Also, we’ve added bubbles to guide and help you throughout the game. Not only will they give more "life" to secondary characters and NPCs, but they will also let you know what you should do next, or who to talk to without needing to repeat a dialogue with that character.

Hope you like this a-bit-longer-than-usual update - see you soon with more fresh content!

Ghostbane - AsikaR
Ghostbane's demo is now available on Steam.



Dear Ghostbane Hunters,

The Ghostbane demo is now available for Steam. You can experience single player gameplay in the demo version. Our goal is to give you a first impression of the game and get your feedback on Ghostbane. In the demo content, you will be able to observe the general progress of the game and contribute to the development process. Your experience may be affected by various bugs and performance issues you may encounter during this phase. You can contact us via the Discord server if you experience any problems.

Ghostbane demo at Steam Next Fest on February 5th



Ghostbane demo at Steam Next Fest on February 5th. You can give us your feedback during the event and contribute to the development of the game.

What will be in Full Version?



Here are some of the features we are aiming to achieve in the Full Version:

  • Multiplayer gameplay.
  • More than 10 game maps and more interactive elements.
  • More than 20 different ghost types and unique extra features.
  • Various game modes and exciting additional quests.
  • Brand new upgradeable items.
  • Advanced AI elements focused on voice communication with ghosts. We'll give you a very different experience than you're used to.
  • Customizable and upgradeable Master top, equipment and ghosts.
  • In-game emote animations.
  • Fun little games.
  • Language support and enhancements.
  • Steam achievements, score shop and workshop integrations.
  • And much more to add based on your feedback.
Route 66 Simulator - grandegamesdev
Hello Dear Fans,

We hope you are all doing fine in the new year. Our team is hard at work implementing more and more features into our game.

Today we wanted to present you with two of them.

Firstly, Car Wash System, as you ride along Route 66 and many of the deserted areas along the road, your car will get dirtier and dirtier and none of us wants to have our beautiful Muscle Cars all dirty and in mud.



So that is why we have placed Car Washes along the road, so that as a player for a small fee you can get your car cleaned up.



When you enter the Carwash a cutscene plays out showing your beautiful vehicle starting to shine again.





And after we are done our car looks like a brand new vehicle.



We also have a video for you showing how it works inside our game.



The other thing we have been working on is the Deformation System, which allows for destruction of our vehicle, when our car hits obstacles.
Car damage is divided into 3 levels of destruction. The damage occurs when the car hits at high speed (40mph+), where after each impact, the level of damage increases. After reaching destruction level 3, the car no longer destroys itself. To repair your car, you need to come to the workshop and repair the car for money.





And here is a small peek into how it looks currently.


And that will be all for today, thank you once again for supporting us and remember to add our game to your wishlist, to be the first to know about all the news regarding Route 66 Simulator.

See you soon,
Grande Games
Jan 31, 2024
The Long Drive - THE DOCTOR
No, we're not dead at all. And neither does Long Drive.

We did not expect that it would be easy to rewrite the main parts of the game, but even so, it is much more difficult than we expected. Genesz is sweating blood and fighting to get the update ready for you as soon as possible, but he won't release it half-finished. We don't know how long it will be until it is ready, but once it is ready, we hope to be able to say that it was worth the wait.

The landscape generation is the most difficult part of the whole process, we have to prepare it first so that we can adjust to it and place the possible new buildings and possible settlements.
Some new mechanics are also expected, and if we don't end up dying until then, maybe a more functioning multiplayer will be ready.

In the meantime, please be patient, the game will continue to receive updates, unless Genesz starts making kitty videos.

Thank you for being so many of us and waiting for the update.


Genesz, Gab, Gus, Doc
Hearts of Iron IV - PDX Chakerathe
¡Hola amigos! My name is Eilidh, and this just so happens to be my first time writing a Dev Diary for you guys! I’m very excited to introduce to you the work I have been doing on Argentina, one of the nations you’ll be able to lead in Trial of Allegiance. Whilst Argentina didn’t get directly involved in the war until late in the game, the country went through massive changes and had an absolutely fascinating history during the 1930s through to the 1940s. So let’s take a look at this ‘Infamous Decade’ and allow me to give you a brief context overview of where the country is at the start of the game, before taking you on a tour around the various political branches you can take in the Argentinian focus tree. Without further ado, let’s get stuck in!


Context Pre-1936
Prior to the start of the Great Depression, Argentina followed a trend of strong economic growth, enough to rival countries such as Canada or Australia in per capita income. This strong era of development for the country was also matched by social and economic reforms brought about by the government - which currently seated the Radical Civic Union party. However, it was during the second administration of president Hipólito Yrigoyen that things took a turn for the worst. The Great Depression arrived in Argentina, bringing with it a crippling economic crisis. In 1930, the military took things into their own hands, ousting Yrigoyen in the first military coup in modern Argentine history. It is this event that marked the beginning of what would later be called the Infamous Decade in Argentina; a period of fraudulent elections, government corruption and further military coup d’etats.

After Yrigoyen was removed from office, there was another election, this time putting Agustín Pedro Justo in power, supported by the newly created conservative party known as the Concordancia. This party was a union of various dissident sectors of other political parties that opposed the late Yrigoyen. It was Justo that orchestrated the practice of electoral fraud that became prevalent during the 1930s in Argentina; a case that would be attached to the legacy of the Concordancia.

The Great Depression hit Argentina relatively hard, and in the wake of such a global economic crisis, Great Britain, the principal economic partner of Argentina in the 1920s and 1930s, took measures to protect the meat supply market in the Commonwealth. One of these measures was to create a bilateral treaty with the Argentine Senate known as the Roca-Runciman treaty; named after the two men who signed it. This treaty ensured and strengthened the commercial tires between Argentina and Britain.

Moving back to the time before the first world war, Argentina engaged in a significant naval arms race with its neighbors Brazil and Chile. After years of conflict between Argentina and Chile, a pact was formed in 1902 that limited the naval armaments of both countries. However, alarmed by the sudden influx of Brazilian warships a few years later, Argentina quickly moved to nullify the remaining months of their pact with Chile to join in the naval arms race and match the naval capabilities of their northern neighbor Brazil. However when the first world war ended, so did the arms race. Suffering from the financial cost of trying to expand their naval capabilities, all three countries suddenly found themselves unable to acquire additional warships. After the conflict, the race never resumed, but many plans for post-war naval expansions were postulated by the Argentine, Brazilian, and Chilean governments.

In game, we represent these issues with a number of national spirits that must be overcome if the nation is to prosper or expand. (Icons may change before release)





Historical Branch
When the game begins, no matter which ideology you wish to go down, Argentina will always start Non-Aligned with Agustín Pedro Justo in power. However, he likely will not remain there for long, as each branch will require the Argentinian player to make some drastic changes to their government and president. Whilst we won’t dwell on Señor Justo for long, please enjoy this updated art we have for his portrait!


With that out of the way, let’s take a wee look at the historical branch of the focus tree.



It should be noted that the foreign policy branch is shared with the democratic branch. As such, the path that begins with ‘Pan-American Cooperation’ and ends with ‘The Second Argentine Republic’ is available only to those who have taken Argentina into an independent democratic future.


The first part of the branch is all about putting Roberto Ortiz in power, a man who dedicated himself to ousting the corruption in the Concordancia, despite being chosen through the most fraudulent election in Argentine History. As such, you will try to minimize the ‘Political Corruption’ national spirit, by taking these focuses, as well as reinforcing the already existing relationship with Great Britain.


In the next part of the tree, things start to heat up for the Concordanica. Whilst you have the option to improve on Argentina’s damaged economy in the left hand branch, the historical player must then choose to elect Ramón Castillo. However, this creates tensions within the military factions in government, setting off a timed mission that spells an impending military coup. If the player does not take the appropriate actions, either by embracing the military factions or resisting them, then they will face a bloody civil war across Argentina.



In order to avoid a civil war, you have two choices. Either go the historical route and allow the march to create a quiet turnover in government via ‘March to La Casa Rosada’ or take things a-historically and enact federal intervention in states taken over by the military, before finally subduing the dissension within its ranks. However, if you fancy fighting a civil war, feel free to do absolutely nothing! The fun thing about Hearts of Iron IV is that you can play it however you want.



With your government secure, you can finally start to look towards engaging with the world and the war that is ravaging it. If fighting does not interest you what-so-ever, then feel free to reject the Allies and take your own path, remaining neutral. However, if you want to help the Allies in their fight against fascism, then you can join their faction, and begin Argentina’s foreign policy branch. Keep that branch in mind for now, for I will go into more detail with it when we talk about the democratic path!

Democratic Branch
Speaking of which, let’s talk about what happens if you have a clean election instead of one that is corrupt beyond belief. It’s time to see how Argentina fares as a true democracy.



At the beginning of the path, the ‘Infamous Decade’ national spirit becomes less of a hindrance as you are taking the actions necessary to avoid the rampant corruption that was rife within the Concordancia. With this in mind, you will then elect Marcelo T. De Alvear as the new leader of Argentina, placing the Radical Civic Union as the primary party in government. From here on out, you will be able to enact further social change to the country, building it up as a safe and comfortable home for all who live in Argentina.


With the country stable, it is time for the democratic player to turn their attention towards expanding their military by either reinforcing their connection with the United States or with Great Britain. Alternatively, there is a third branch in which Argentina focuses internally, and instead looks to becoming the new bastion of democracy in the Americas.


It is time for democratic Argentina to get itself involved in foreign policy. This branch is shared with the Historical tree, but really comes alive with the context of playing Democratic. Aligning yourself with the Monroe Doctrine will grant a national spirit to help set yourself up militarily, and allow you to develop your alliance with Britain and America. Bolstering your connection with the U.S.A will allow you to start engaging in counterintelligence, eventually ending the infamous Operation Bolivar in South America. This path then ends with the opportunity to work towards removing communism from the continent. Alternatively, send an envoy to London and have the potential to secure the Falkland and South Georgia islands from them, setting them up as strong naval fortresses to aid in the war. As time goes on, you will eventually gain the chance to have wargoals on any fascist nations in South America.

Industrial Branch
Let’s take a break from politics for a second and have a look at Argentina’s industrial branch, which is accessible for all ideologies.


Starting out by developing the Banco Central de la República Argentina, the path opens up to multiple branches that will on large provide multiple bonuses to restore the economic prowess Argentina had prior to the Great Depression.


One of the first things the Argentinian player can do is reach out to various major nations and take out loans from them. This is done through a decision system that will provide numerous bonuses at the expense of daily political power. Of course, if you then wish to repay, you will be able to swap those bonuses to regain the daily PP that you have lost.


This branch deals primarily with the development of your industry and research. Many of the focuses here will provide you with factories both civilian and military, as well as a number of research boosts to various categories. You will also have the option to capitalize on Argentina’s beef industry, and make changes to the ‘Roca-Runciman Treaty’ national treaty you have at game start. Either revisit it and redevelop it as the ‘Eden-Malbrán Treaty’ or revise it entirely, cutting Britain out of the equation and re-signing the treaty with any of your new allies.


This side of the tree is instead focused on developing Argentina’s infrastructure and raw resources. The latter in particular will create more steel and aluminum for extraction in certain regions of the country, eventually culminating in unlocking the Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales as an industrial concern, granting boosts to Industrial and Resource research speed.

On the right, the focus is on building up the Argentine Metropole. Encourage immigration from Wales, Germany and Italy and develop the civilian economy, overall promoting a move from the more traditional rural lifestyle of old towards the larger cities in Argentina.

Fascist Branch
As we move back to the political branches, we will be taking a look at Argentina’s fascist tree. This explores the ‘what-if’ scenario in which Roberto Ortiz worked with the Argentine nationalists instead of focusing on trying to improve the Concordancia.



In the 1910s - 1930s, a group known as the Ligas Patrióticas were operating in Argentina as a nationalistic paramilitary group. Eventually, they would be reformed into the Argentine Civic Legion and then the Unión Nacional Fascista. This tied with certain members of the Argentina government supporting the Axis in Europe, meant that there was plenty to draw on for an alternative history in which Argentina pursued fascism.

The idea of this path is for the player to bolster nationalist spirit throughout the country. including sending aid to Franco during the Spanish Civil War. Doing so will allow you to demand Equatorial Guinea from Spain, giving Argentina a foothold in the African front. The player can also re-establish the Ligas Patrióticas which will provide a number of divisions to use in the upcoming wars that you will no doubt be waging. Speaking of which, why not poke at Uruguay a little bit? If you can do so without escalating a conflict with Brazil, it would provide a nice foothold for your new regime to take on the rest of the continent.


Now the time has come to choose whether you will be a nationalistic Argentina or one that models itself after the German Reich. These branching paths will allow you to take fascist Argentina in two different directions. Taking ‘Guardia Nacional’ will take you down a more hyper-militaristic path and set you up in a good position to join the Axis and act as an extension of Germany on the South American continent. Alternatively, if you take ‘Unión Nacional Fascista’ then you will focus on bolstering the nationalistic spirit of Argentina, resulting in a pretty cool national spirit ‘Spirit of the Conquistadors’ which grants war support, division attack and makes it faster to justify war on your neighbors.


Eventually, regardless of what flavor of fascism you install in Argentina, the time will come where you must decide to join the Axis and the war in Europe, or create your own faction, and begin the conquest of South America.


At long last, it is time to dominate the south. This foreign policy branch will take you through a number of steps where you will have the option to either bully your neighbors into submitting to you, or straight up marching on their borders in an all out war. Eventually, it will be time to turn to Argentina’s oldest rival to the north: Brazil. By taking out the largest nation on the continent, the Argentinian player will be in a good position to secure the rest of South America, eventually creating the South American Confederation and opening up the opportunity to integrate conquered territories into your nation.


Of course, it wouldn’t be an Argentinian focus tree without the opportunity to set off the Falkland War early now would it? Be careful though. Putting your sights on the United Kingdom will mean that you might fall into the Allies’ ire if you aren’t already.

Communist Branch
But what if you want a more radical change to Argentina’s government? Well, I have prepared a Communist branch just for that reason. Instead of a fraudulent or a clean election, it’s time for a call to reform as we dive into the Communist tree.



As with any communist movement, the first port of call is to begin garnering revolutionary support. This is started by inviting Rodolfo Ghioldi back to Argentina. Ghioldi was a political leader who supported the Argentine Communist Party. After a threat against his life, Ghioldi was exiled to Brazil, where he participated in a failed communist insurrection against Getúlio Vargas. However, in this timeline, you will bring him back to Argentina to lead your revolution.

Eventually, after legitimizing the Argentina Communist Party and reaching out to the Soviets for support and rallying the workers, you will be able to launch a revolution against the government of Argentina. If you are able to survive the civil war, then you will play as Argentina Populares!


After the revolution, you will then have a choice in the kind of communism you want to build in Argentina.

Firstly, on the left, you can align yourself with the Soviets. This will keep Rodolfo Ghioldi in power and will make Argentina join the Comintern. From here on out, Argentina will gain access to Soviet companies (or MIOs if you have Arms Against Tyranny!) and focus on establishing a strong intelligence program in the name of state security. This branch culminates in Ghioldi centralizing power and becoming a true communist dictator!

On the right, however, you can put Fanny Edelman in power, creating a more independent socialist power in South America. Edelman’s path looks to supporting the common worker and providing rights for women, as well as sending socialist volunteers across seas to aid in revolutions across the world. Eventually, it will be time to open up the Buenos Aires Conference, where you will decide whether to keep Fanny in power, or instead allow Anarcho-Syndicalist Antonio Soto a chance to rule (More on this guy later!)

The middle branch is accessible to both paths, and follows the standard economic upgrades that communist Argentina can install. Eventually, you will have to choose between enacting state atheism, or establishing Liberation Theology much earlier than it did historically. Liberation Theology, for those unaware, was a form of Catholicism created in South America that aligned itself ideologically with socialist theory.


The Foreign Policy branch of the Communist tree is fairly short and sweet. You will be able to choose between gaining war goals on all non-communist states in South America, or, if you’re feeling peaceful, invite any communist country on the continent to join your faction! Eventually, you will have the choice to integrate conquered territories into your nation or enact Operation Ocaso Escarlata, bringing forth a Scarlet Sunset to anyone who opposes you.


But wait… what’s this? Antonio Soto got into power at the Buenos Aires Conference? Soto was an Anarcho-Syndicalist who was one of the principal leaders during the well-known rural strikes in the Patagonia region of Argentina during 1921. He returns to the Communist branch as a potential leader!

When selected as the new leader during the Buenos Aires Conference, instead of going down the usual foreign policy path, you instead unlock an Anarcho-Syndicalist branch where you will improve Patagonia, making up for the strikes all those years go, Establish your Free Association and finally take the fight to liberate any occupied or colonized territories in South America!

Military Branch
Those with a keen eye would have spotted that we have a shared military branch that is accessed by all the nations that we are expanding upon in Trial of Allegiance. This is due to the fact that many of them start with similar military capabilities and issues at the start of the game.

To save me repeating myself, feel free to check out our first developer diary made by AveeBee on Brazil for more information on the Military Branch.


Don’t fret however! The tree may be shared, but there are a number of focuses available that are flavored to each country. And whilst it may be large, it will allow you to create a truly bespoke military without causing any major balancing issues. Sure, it’s not intended that you take every focus here, but nothing is stopping you from turning Argentina into a superpower. It just takes time, you see!

Conclusion

Well my friends, that brings me to the end of the Argentina Dev Diary. I hope this has given you more insight into what we have in store for you all and I hope you are looking forward to Trials of Allegiance.

There are some things that I have not touched upon in this Dev Diary, including a few easter eggs. But it wouldn’t be fun if I told you what they were, now would it?

If you have any questions, please feel free to post them below. Get ready, because the Dev Diaries don’t stop here - Chile is due to drop next week, so get excited!

Thanks for reading!

-Eilidh

Make sure to check out Trial of Allegiance here
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2695150/Hearts_of_Iron_IV_Trial_of_Allegiance/
Goat's Tale Adventure - Chlebek_Pyszny
Jan 31, 2024
Music Store Simulator - alex
Greetings, Rockers!

The journey through Early Access has been nothing short of electrifying, and it's all thanks to the vibrant community that has been with us from the demo days. Your passion and feedback have been the driving force behind our progress, and we're thrilled to bring you a game-changing feature that's been on everyone's wishlist since the dawn of Early Access.

🔧 MAJOR CHANGES: Soldering Revolution!
Prepare to dive deep into the heart of your electric instruments as we introduce the much-anticipated soldering feature. Now you can skillfully solder electronic elements in guitars like never before! Say hello to a new level of customization as you interact with electric cables and capacitors, adding a unique touch to your musical arsenal.

🎸 New Skills Unleashed!
But that's not all - a brand-new skill awaits you in the PC app, designed to turbocharge your soldering process. Your instruments will never be the same, and it's all thanks to your invaluable input. This is a game-changer, and we couldn't be more excited to share it with you!

🖱️ MINOR CHANGES: Precision at Your Fingertips
To enhance your crafting experience, we've added a specific mouse cursor tailored for the soldering process. Precision is the name of the game, and now you have the perfect tool to master it.

🛠️ MAJOR FIXES: Silencing the Glitches
We heard you loud and clear about the issues hindering your creative flow. No more struggles with downloading Audio References files or unexpected halts in the painting process. We've got you covered, ensuring a seamless audio customization and painting experience.

🔍 MINOR FIXES: Details Matter
From revealing hidden HiFi models to refining the AutoConfiguration process, we've ironed out the minor wrinkles that were affecting your gameplay. Your projects will now thrive even in the Painting Room without a hitch.

Full list of updates

MAJOR CHANGES
  • Implemented the major feature to solder the electronic elements in electric instruments.
  • Implemented the interaction to electric cables and capacitors.
  • Added the Soldering steps in Electric DCT, Electric SCT, Electric TL1 and Electric PST guitars and in Electric Bass PB4.
  • Added a new Skill in the related PC app in order to speed up the Soldering process.
MINOR CHANGES
  • Added a specific mouse cursor for Soldering process.
MAJOR FIXES
  • Fixed a problem which did not allow to download properly the Audio References file in new installations, blocking the Audio customization.
  • Fixed an issue which stopped the Painting process when the AutoConfirmation option was active, even same areas were not painted yet.
MINOR FIXES
  • Fixed a problem which hided the HiFi models in the non-Player cameras.
  • Now, when the AutoConfiguration is used, the preferred Paint selector is shown, instead of the Advanced one.
  • Fixed a problem which did not allow to retrieve properly a Project while drying in the Painting Room.
Rock on, players! Your continued support and enthusiasm keep shaping this musical journey, and we can't wait to see what melodies you'll craft with these new additions. As always, keep the feedback coming - you are the backbone of this ever-evolving experience.

🎶 Thank you for rocking with us! 🎶
Cross Blitz - SuTheNinja
Ahoy Blitzers!

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve just rolled out another massive update to start off the year right that addresses numerous bug fixes, interesting card changes and adds three playable mercenaries to Tusk Tales. We can’t thank you enough for your unwavering support and the wealth of feedback provided since day one!

As you know, community feedback is essential, especially for an early access title like Cross Blitz! The more you share feedback, the more it helps us in the process of crafting the best deck-builder experience possible. Thus, feel free to reach out to the Cross Blitz crewmates and share your first impressions and suggestions on our official Discord: https://discord.gg/takoboystudios

We’ve recently updated our Early Access Roadmap. After assessing the game’s launch and working to address various feedback, we’ve adjusted our development schedule for future updates. You can check out the new Roadmap below!



This early access journey has just begun and we cannot wait to unveil everything we have in store for you!

Changelog - Update 0.7.5:


Bug Fixes:
  • [Battles] Fixed a bug showing red pixels after using Blade Bomb.
  • [Battles] Fixed a bug where Dungeon Keeper's effect would sometimes fail or only give half a Death effect.
  • [Battles] Fixed a bug causing Petal Mage's selection effect to display over her sprite.
  • [Battles] Fixed a bug that allowed the player to activate their Blitz Burst during combat.
  • [Battles] Fixed a bug that allowed the player to activate their Blitz Burst using right-click.
  • [Battles] Fixed several bugs related to Transform effects.
  • [Battles] Fixed a bug where Mimicking Melody incorrectly put Autocast cards in the player’s hand.
  • [Battles] Fixed a bug where Lilly Lulls incorrectly put Autocast cards in the player’s hand.
  • [Battles] Fixed a bug that caused crashes when loading matches with old save files.
  • [Battles] Fixed a bug where Brigade Traps could give you Autocast cards.
  • [Battles] Fixed bugs relating to Chaotic Cauldron and targeting.
  • [Battles] Fixed a bug where Bello incorrectly Lifesteal sometimes.
  • [Fables] Fixed a bug in the “Save Admiral Brass” accolade where it sometimes wouldn't trigger.
  • [Fables] Fixed a bug in the “Trigger 2 Riff effects” accolade.
  • [Fables] Fixed a performance issue when moving to the match results screen from Fables.
  • [Tusk Tales] Fixed text formatting issues with the cursed spirit.
  • [Tusk Tales] Fixed a bug where Drivel would reward the Boogie Blues Axe even if you didn't beat him by generating more sound.
  • [Tusk Tales] Fixed a bug that allowed the player to duplicate their Blitz Burst at Campfires.

Balance Changes & Improvements:


  • - [Battles] Minions that are evolved will not gain summoning sickness.
  • - [Tusk Tales] Balance across Tusk Tales battles improved.
  • - [Tusk Tales] The likelihood of a specific card appearing across a run is now decreased based on the number of copies of that card already present in your deck.

Developer Note: We've fine-tuned the card appearance rates to enhance deck diversity and strategic gameplay. Now, the probability of receiving a specific card as a reward will dynamically decrease the more copies of that card you already have in your deck. This change aims to encourage players to diversify their decks and explore a wider variety of card combinations, promoting a more balanced and engaging experience for everyone from beginners to Tusk Tales veterans.

  • [Tusk Tales] The cost of adding a trinket to a card will now increase 50g with each trinket already equipped to that card.

Developer Note: We've noticed a trend where players were heavily investing in trinkets for lower-cost cards, skewing the intended game balance and strategy. To address this, we're introducing a new pricing model for trinkets. The cost of adding a trinket to a card will now increase 50g with each trinket already equipped to that card. We're hoping this increase in cost will encourage players to distribute their trinket enhancements more evenly across their decks, rather than overloading a single card with multiple trinkets.

  • [Tusk Tales] The cost of selling a card will now double from the last sell price (20g, 40g, 80g, 160g)
  • [Tusk Tales] An additional Cost requirement has been put on some Trinkets (see cards section).
  • [Tusk Tales] Relic slots on new mercenaries are now unlocked from the start, replaced by unlocking new relics which are added to run pools.

Developer Note: Now all mercenaries will start with 4 relic slots, and the upgrade section will unlock new Relics for all future Tusk Tales runs. If you’ve already purchased the slot upgrades, the relics will be unlocked automatically.

Improved Tusk Tales UI Flow


  • [Tusk Tales] The hover tooltip was moved to the side, shown over your deck, allowing you to see the map more clearly.
  • [Tusk Tales] Removed the pointer hands that would display over nodes you were able to click on. Now, a more clear arrow sprite is shown.
  • [Tusk Tales] When hovering over a future node, you'll see all potential routes highlighted that can lead you to that node.



  • [Fables] The player can now change their deck with arrows on the Fables Map Screen.
  • [Fables] Adjusted accolades in Redcroft and Violet's stories for enhanced engagement and to promote diverse deck building.

Developer Note: We're motivating players to explore various deck strategies for completing accolades. We recognize that deck building can be challenging, and not all players may prefer experimenting with different decks. To balance this, we're increasing the Dawn Dollars reward for initial victories. We feel if we encourage a wide variety of decks, players will have more success with harder modes, leading to a more rewarding gameplay experience.

  • [Fables] Decks now keep their cards after a respec and are shown as missing.
  • [Fables] Added Sub-cards to shops.

Card Changes


NEW CARDS
:


Puff Platoon Flag [Relic]

The first card you add to any deck each turn adds a second copy.

Pirate Prince's Crown [Elder_Relic]

Your Puff Caps are Golden Puff Caps.

Golden Puff Cap [Spell]

Autocast: Give a random friendly minion +1/+1 or a random enemy minion -1/-1.

Banshee Boomstick [Relic]

After you play your first Spell in a turn, give a minion in your hand +1/+1 and Flux.

Blood Bangles [Relic]

Once per turn, when your minion takes damage during your turn, negate it.

Chromatic Keyboard [Relic]

After you play a normal Groupie, transform it into a random special Groupie.

Rumble Ring [Relic]

Old: After you cast a spell, deal 1 damage to the enemy hero.
New: Start of Game: Add 2 Fists from a random spell school to your hand.

Blaze Fist [Spell] [Token] (1)

Give a minion +1 Power. If it has Hothead, give it Relentless.

Demon Fist [Spell] [Token] (1)

Deal 2 Draconic Damage. Excess hits the enemy hero.

Workshop Table [Elder_Relic]

After a friendly Golem dies, add a Blueprint to your hand.

Pluckbot [Minion] (3/1/4) [Golem]

Can block Flying minions. Played: Steal a Trap from your opponent.

Pyre Stone [Relic]

Your minions have Hothead.

CHANGES:


Blade Bomb

Old: Deal 5 Pyro damage to all minions. Add a bomb to your opponent's deck for each destroyed.
New: Deal 3 Pyro damage to all minions. Add a bomb to your opponent's deck for each destroyed.

Developer Note: This change has been asked for since EA launched. We've been hesitant to alter a core card for War. However, we felt the power increase overall was significant enough to warrant it.

Dozing Drake

Old: When this minion is damaged, give it +2 power.
New: While this minion is damaged, it has +3 Power.

Developer Notes: With Blood Boil gaining so many more options, Dozing Drake became too strong. We've prematurely balanced him to fix this issue.

Blood Crusade

Old: Control 2 unique classes at the start of your turn. Reward: Give your minions, in enemy occupied columns, +1 Power. Force them to attack.
New: Your minions take 10 Damage on your turns. Reward: Revive a Pirate Cannon Dragon Golem & Sprout Elf. Give them Hothead.

Developer Note: To alleviate confusion for new players, we've revised Blood Crusade. The original card's terminology and reward structure were unclear, especially to those unfamiliar with the concept of "Classes" in the game. The updated version simplifies the mechanics and makes the reward more intuitive.

Bomb Barrage

Old: Gain 10 armor.
New: Gain 12 armor.

Cindersoot Monkey

Old: Hothead Play: Fire a friendly cannon, it can target the enemy hero.
New: Hothead Play: Target an enemy minion and fire your Cannons at it.

Developer Note: Changed in 2 patches in a row. Cindersoot Monkey now feels like it's in a great spot. Providing a more niche way to use your Cannons and deal with bigger threats. The targeting aspect will be a nice change of pace for players who don't like the randomness of Cannons.

Pyre Wisp

Old: Pyro Damage +1. Death: Give a friendly Cannon +1 Power, +1 Damage, and Fire it!
New: Death: Fire your Cannons. If you don't control any, add one to your hand.

Developer Note: Pyre Wisp saw little to no play. Its impact was too dependent on the presence and longevity of Cannons on the battlefield, leading to its underutilization in broader Cannon-based strategies. To address this, we've retooled Pyre Wisp's Death effect to provide immediate board impact or to ensure value even when the player has no Cannons.

Ship Cannon

Health Decreased: 5 -> 4

Pyre Cannon

Health Decreased: 5 -> 4

Bokobobin Cannon

Health Decreased: 5 -> 4

Ancient Lullaby

Old: Silence all enemy minions then do 1 Draconic damage to them.
New: Destroy all enemy Traps. Silence all enemy Minions, then deal 1 Draconic Damage to them.

Developer Note: Trap counters are something we've been wanting to put into the game, we feel they're very strong with no counterplay. Speaking of, Ancient Lullaby can be countered by Mana Diffuser.

Tiny Ancient

Power Increased: 1 -> 2
Health Increased: 1 -> 2
Old: Play: Give a minion +1 Power.
New: Play: Discard a random card.

Developer Note: Tiny Ancient's redesign as our first 1-cost 2/2 minion with a downside is aimed at providing a viable option for Discard archetypes, filling a previously unoccupied niche.

Mosh Pit

Old: Summon 4 Groupies, give them +1/+1 & Rush. Add any that don't fit to your hand.
New: Summon 4 Groupies, give them +1/+1, Fleeting & Rush. Add any that don't fit to your hand.

Torpedo

Health Decreased: 6 -> 4

Gizmo Provisions

Old: When a friendly minion is attacked, give it +2/+2 and Barrier.
New: Before a friendly minion is attacked, give it Barrier.

Brigade Trap

Old: Autocast: Summon a Brigade Thief for your opponent and give them a copy of a card from your deck, reduce its cost by 2.
New: Autocast: Summon a Brigade Thief for your opponent and give them a copy of a card from your deck.

Shield Scout

Cost Decreased: 3 -> 2
Power Increased: 0 -> 1
Health Increased: 2 -> 3
Old: Barrier Guard Death: Add 2 Brigade Traps to your opponent's deck.
New: Immobile Barrier Guard

Lucky Flip

Cost Increased: 1 -> 2

Parsley

Cost Decreased: 8 -> 4
Power Decreased: 8 -> 3
Health Decreased: 8 -> 3
Old: Tough Play: Add 4 Puff Caps to your deck.
New: Tough. If this minion would be Transformed, summon a Fungus Fleetfoot instead.

Fungus Fleetfoot

[Minion] (3/3/3)
Hothead

Futu

Cost Decreased: 2 -> 1
Power Decreased: 2 -> 1
Health Decreased: 2 -> 1

Toadstool Toot

Old: Add 9 Puff Caps to your deck. Reward: Remove every Puff Cap in your deck to Evolve a random minion.
New: Add 9 Puff Caps to your deck. Reward: Remove Puff Caps in your deck to summon a Fleetfoot until your board is full.

Wartwood Cap

Cost Increased: 0 -> 1

Yellow Toe Jam

Cost Increased: 1 -> 2

RELIC CHANGES

Developer Note: We've reclassified several Elder Relics to standard Relics to address an imbalance that led to a lack of variety in gameplay. Our goal is to prevent runs from feeling monotonous by expanding the variety of Relics you might see on Runs.

Coral Ocarina

Elder_Relic -> Relic
Old: Players draw an extra card at the start of their turn.
New: Once per game, after you play your last card on your turn, draw 4 cards.

Developer Note: Analysis revealed that Coral Ocarina was underutilized in gameplay, primarily confined to a niche role within Bomb decks due to its mirrored effect. Given its status as an Elder Relic, players often opted for more impactful alternatives. The updated ability of Coral Ocarina now addresses card draw challenges, benefiting aggro strategies that struggle to maintain a healthy hand size mid-game. While not without drawbacks, we're hoping this change finds a utility among more archetypes.

Finn Lochley Taiyaki

Old: Your first spell each turn that costs 4 or more costs 2 less.
New: Your first spell each turn that costs 4 or more costs 1 less.

Blood Tusk

Elder_Relic -> Relic
Old: After a friendly Dragon dies, gain armor equal to its power.
New: After your first friendly Dragon dies each turn, gain armor equal to its power.

Bokinstone Powder

Elder_Relic -> Relic
Old: Your Cannons cost 1 less.
New: Your first Cannon each turn costs 1 less.

Combat Earrings

Old: Your 1-cost minions have Rush and Fleeting.
New: After a friendly minion is damaged during your turn, give it +1 Power and Rush.

Developer Note: Combat Earrings saw next to no play. We've adjusted the Relic to align more with a Blood Boil strategy.

Powder Keg

Old: Pyro Damage +1.
New: Your Cannons deal 1 more Damage.

Doggy Biscuit

Old: All players have Pyro Damage -1.
New: All players have -1 Pyro, Frost & Draconic Damage.

Cheater's Badge

Old: When your turn starts, add a random card that costs 2 or less from another faction to your hand.
New: Start of Game: Add two random cards that cost 2 or less from other factions to your hand.

Forging Pendant

Old: After you Redeem a card, add a plain copy of it to your hand.
New: After you Redeem your first card each turn, add a plain copy of it to your hand.

Leviafin Fang

Old: After a minion is Frozen, deal 1 Frost Damage to it.
New: After the first enemy minion is Frozen each turn, deal 1 Frost Damage to it.

Magma Trident

Elder_Relic -> Relic

Mimic Glass

Elder_Relic -> Relic
Old: After you play a minion that costs 4 or more, add a 1/1 copy of it to your deck that costs 1.
New: After you play your first minion that costs 4 or more each turn, add a 1/1 copy of it to your deck that costs 2.

Steel Chomps

Elder_Relic -> Relic

Necro Hammer

Old: After a friendly minion dies, gain +2 armor.
New: After a friendly minion dies, gain +1 armor.

TRINKET CHANGES:

Prickly Scarf
Old: Thorns +1
New: Thorns +2

Cactus Coat
Old: Thorns +2
New: Thorns +3

Developer Note: Thorns was underutilized primarily because it was just a worse +Power trinket. We buffed them to compensate.

King's Crown: Costs 3 less.
New Restriction: Can only be equipped with cards that cost 5 or more.

Mana Drop: Costs 1 less.
New Restriction: Can only be equipped with cards that cost 2 or more.

Mana Sap: Costs 2 less.
New Restriction: Can only be equipped with cards that cost 3 or more.

Developer Note: We added a new mana cost restriction to cards that lower it. This change makes it so you can't equip this trinket to make your cards cost 0.

Sun-shrub Bouquet
Old: Overgrow
New: Costs 1 more. Overgrow

Developer Note: Overgrow is one of the best keywords, we felt increasing the cost of the card it's equipped to will help balance it out more.



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Photography Simulator - hello_madneticgames
Hi Photographers!

We’re coming with great news!
You’ll get to see Photography Simulator on Steam Next Fest!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1732910/Photography_Simulator/

Join us in less than a week to celebrate the upcoming games.
The event starts on February 5th and will last until February 12th.
Mark the date - you don’t want to miss it!

And if you have any questions or simply want to stay up to date - join our Discord and become a part of Madnetic Games Community family


Tavern Talk - Gentle Troll
Tommy from our team will be in the chat to answer any and all of your questions for Tavern Talk!

This is a prerecorded session, the Geek Cupboard shows some gameplay of our game Tavern Talk during the Storyteller’s Festival 2024.

Check out the Geek Cupboard's Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeekCupboard

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