As we march ever closer to the full release of Shields of Loyalty, our commitment to refining your strategic experience remains unwavering. Today, we are thrilled to present DevBlog #33, highlighting the latest improvements and updates in version 0.9.0.42.
Patch Notes – Update 0.9.0.42
Our dedicated development team has been hard at work addressing critical issues and enhancing gameplay on our internal test branch and these will be available for Steam soon. Here’s a comprehensive list of the latest fixes:
Gameplay Fixes:
Resolved an issue where clicking an exclamation mark during attack animations caused the game to freeze.
Fixed a bug where casting spells on large units would cause the game to become unresponsive.
Addressed duplication of boss units and their inability to attack.
Improved AI pathfinding and turn logic for more strategic enemy movements.
Corrected an issue preventing progression after research completion without restarting the game.
Localization and Text Corrections:
Ensured defense values do not exceed 100%.
Adjusted auras of avatars for consistency.
Fixed various typographical errors in unit names, dialogues, and tooltips.
Visual and Audio Enhancements:
Updated title screen animations for a more engaging introduction.
Improved spell effects for a more immersive visual experience.
Resolved missing textures on the "Treasure Hunt" map.
Corrected unit icon issues, including the Valkyrie unit icon in the Valkyrie Aerie.
Fixed animation errors for Dryad and Sylph attacks.
Adjusted new sound effects that were previously too quiet.
Ensured music transitions smoothly between menus.
User Interface Improvements:
Units with no available actions are now greyed out, and the end turn confirmation dialogue is skipped if no unit has actions left.
Updated the artifact menu to display units correctly.
Fixed overlapping text issues, such as the "Force of Nature" text overlapping the UI.
Corrected graphical glitches when zooming in and out on certain maps.
Ensured equipped items display correctly during missions.
Resolved issues with construction and tier upgrades.
Improved display of aura buffs and artifact-loaded units' stats.
Our beta testers have been instrumental in identifying and reporting these issues. Their dedication is immensely appreciated, and we continue to welcome new testers to join our bug hunt. If you're passionate about improving Shields of Loyalty, consider applying to be a beta tester through our Discord server.
Our development team is tirelessly working on both fixing critical bugs and implementing new assets to enhance your gaming experience. We understand the importance of a polished and immersive game, and we are committed to delivering just that. Your trust and patience are invaluable to us, and we believe that, together, we can achieve greatness.
Support Us by Wishlisting
As we approach the full release, we kindly ask for your support by wishlisting Shields of Loyalty on Steam. Wishlisting not only keeps you updated on the latest developments but also significantly boosts our visibility, helping more strategy enthusiasts discover the game. For indie studios like ours, every wishlist adds momentum to our journey.
The moment you’ve all been asking for is just around the corner - Life is Feudal: Arden will be released on Steam on February 25, 2025!
With this step, we open yet another pathway to the united world of Arden, bridging the gap for the community on the platform. Only a few days remain before countless lords and ladies can claim their rightful place as feudals of these vast expanses.🌿
On Arden, you are free to carve your own path in a world that is dynamic and constantly evolving, giving you the freedom to shape its future. Whether you choose to cultivate the land and master crafts in the "green zone", or battle fierce enemies and form powerful alliances in the "red zone" — there’s no limit to what you can achieve. Every corner of this world is yours to conquer, and how you play is entirely up to you!
We’re thrilled to offer this free-to-play experience on Steam, and we can’t wait for you to see everything that Arden has to offer. The world is waiting, get ready to leave your mark on history! ⚔️
After weeks of tests in the Open Beta, the new patch is finally here!
Changelog:
Race
Sprints improvements:
AI team trains are now better organized, making sprints more challenging.
Fixed a bug causing riders to start their sprint too late when low on yellow energy (especially in breakaways or small groups).
Sprinters now lose more speed when running out of red energy during a sprint.
Fixed bugs that made sprints harder for players against AI.
Fix several physical and energetical bugs.
Selectivity Enhancements:
Races are now more selective, especially hilly classics (e.g., Liège-Bastogne-Liège) and medium mountain/mountain races (e.g., Il Lombardia, Tour de France MO stages).
Improvements to race physics and the energy system, with a bigger impact for low END attributes.
Slightly increased watts difference between top riders and average riders for attacks and very high efforts.
AI now sets stronger tempo on hilly or mountainous classics with challenging second halves.
Leaders may also behave more aggressively.
Fixed bugs that reduced leaders’ willingness to attack in situations where it was appropriate.
Freshness:
Freshness now decreases more rapidly over consecutive race days.
Career
Add financial bonuses from sponsors in cases of good performances. For Continental Pro and Continental Teams only.
1st case: either by a good team ranking on July 31st (early budget boost).
2nd case: good team index in september (late budget boost).
3rd case: division up (next year budget boost. from Conti to Conti Pro, or from Conti Pro to World Tour).
Once again, thank you to everyone who tested the Open Beta and took the time to provide feedback and report bugs.
- amphibious vehicles can now cross deep water - added Crusader AA vehicles - added Tiger Ausf H1 and Katzchen APC - added KV-1 Model 1941 (ZIS-5) - added Flak38 and Flakvierling38 guns - allows map scenarios to be created with the new Finnish, Romanian, Polish, Chinese and Hungarian forces - auto cannons now fire longer bursts - fixed a bug where you could sometimes stack vehicles before the game had begun
We're back with an update that's kind of a mix of everything, from shiny skins to overhauls of metaprogression!
It ended up being pretty chunky, so here's a TLDR of The Forgotten Skins update then we'll get straight into going over the new content:
new skin system with 35 skins
new XP system - linked to skill points and skill trees
skill tree rework - added/changed/removed many skills, no more Soul Cinders needed
2 new weapons + 1 new tool
Item rerolls + recycling changes
Other QoL changes and bug fixes
If you prefer to listen to me waffle on about the changes instead of reading, here's a video covering the update:
Let's get into it!
Skins
Who doesn't like skins? We're giving you 35 to unlock - a mix of recolours, nods to previous Prince of Persia titles, tributes, community contest skins and the return of a certain purple Prince...
Some of them can be crafted right from the beginning, while others will need to be found or unlocked before you can access them.
Before you can do all this, you need to find and save the saucy seamstress Laleh so she can join you in the Oasis and craft you these cool outfits!
New XP System
Since our big November update, two main issues with the game have been; frustration with the speed of unlocking new content (everything needs Soul Cinders!!), and weak skills/metaprogression. This all ties in to the balancing problems we're addressing in these first few months of the year.
The new XP system should help to fix these problems!
How does it work?
You will now level up by killing enemies to get XP - each level up will grant you an additional skill point to use in the skill trees.
Check out the bottom left!
This removes the problems that came from having to save Soul Cinders in order to get skills:
if you messed up and didn't save Soul Cinders during a run then you ended up with nothing to unlock, which was frustrating.
having to use Soul Cinders on skills, unblocking skill trees, unlocking medallions, AND unlocking weapons was all too much - this resource juggling is now greatly reduced!
Note: the Skill Point Altar in the Oasis has been removed, as it's no longer needed now that skill points unlock automatically with level ups.
Skill Tree Rework
For the second part of this sweeping change, we've made some big adjustments to the skills & skill trees.
First off, the main part of this change is that we've removed, altered and added a bunch of skills to make the whole skill system more impactful - no more 5% extra damage while standing in water ^^'
All skills and trees should now make much more sense in their groupings and be more balanced.
Skill trees don’t require any Soul Cinders nor Corrupted Blood to unlock anymore - you just need to reach certain levels through the XP system to unlock them.
The skill points limit has been set to 15 for now - this might change in the future if needed based on feedback :)
PHEW! That's quite a lot and it'll make more sense when you play - please don't hesitate to leave us feedback on any of these changes in the Steam forums or on Discord.
Weapons & Tools
On to the shiny stuff! We added 2 new weapons & 1 new tool, and they're all dropped from bosses!
First up, we have Kaali's Scythe!
Slice through your enemies with this brutal weapon then use the special attack to teleport behind them and deliver a killing blow behind you.
Next up is Baatar’s Horns, a mixed melee & ranged weapon. Its standard attack releases short melee attacks, with the combo finishing on a mid-range energy blast.
Charge the special attack to unleash a long-range energy blast that decimates anything unfortunate to be in it's path. Hold the attack button to keep it going for as long as you still have energy.
And finally we have Altan’s Bracelets! This tool lets you dash forward on a wave of water, smashing enemies out of the way. Simple, but devastatingly effective.
What else has changed?
We've also made some minor changes throughout the game. On their own they might seem insignificant, but together with the other changes in this update they should make each run a much better experience!
Mithra’s Light
Mithra’s Light (preview of what's in next biome) is no longer a skill, but an upgrade to be unlocked in Paachi’s Workshop.
It also gets a 2nd level, called Mithra’s Clairvoyance that provides information about the whole run.
More info has been added to this feature too.
Rerolls
Item Rerolls have been moved from Azar and Narses’ Shop to the Fire Altars.
You can now reroll items with gold.
New skill adds Reroll Coins to your runs if you choose it. They appear like currency and mean you won't need to spend your hard-earned gold on rerolls!
Other
Respawn animation can now be cancelled. Some of you were getting annoyed with the waiting each time!
We’ve added Rocks to kick in all biomes. More stuns for everyone!
You can now complete bosses’ quests from 3 to 5 in the Book of Heads.
Recycling is no longer a skill, but an upgrade to be unlocked in Paachi’s Workshop.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue with some Awakening runes that wouldn't trigger upon resuming a save
Fixed Awakening of the insurmountable not triggering in Warehouse
Fixed an issue when vaulting over mobs that could cause the Prince to be teleported upwards
Fixed Hammer & Knife crit condition triggering even when the tool action was cancelled
Fixed a room in Temple of Atar that could cause to fall off the map
Fixed rocks in Altan's arena dealing unintended damage
Fixed Altan sometimes becoming unresponsive when hit by rocks
Fixed an issue that prevented from infusing Soul Cinders on Weapon Rack when the game was set to simplified Chinese
Fixed awakening of the enraged not triggering
Fixed an UI issue with medallions tooltip
Fixed an issue with VFX when unlocking new skill trees
Fixed warning message not displaying when attempting to exit the game
With this update we reduced the first stage difficulty. We noticed that quite a few players we're having difficulty progressing through the first few maps and thus not discovering all that the game has to offer. Having a steep difficulty curve can be frustrating while the players are still learning the game and its mechanics.
We hope that these changes will allow more players to progress in their unlocks, discover more content and ultimately have a more pleasant experience while they adapt to the game's mechanics without failing too many times.
The later stages of the game remain unchanged for now. Part of the fun in Darkblade Ascent also comes from overcoming tougher enemies, learning their patterns and having the actual player skill be an important part of this alongside the current run build or stats. We don't want to make the game too easy but also not frustratingly hard. That being said, Darkblade Ascent will always lean towards being MORE difficult than being too easy.
Patch notes:
Changes:
Reduced health by 40% and damage by 15% of all enemies in Abandoned Sewers (first map).
Reduced health by 30% and damage by 10% of all enemies in Castle Courtyard (second map).
Reduced health by 30% and damage by 10% of all enemies in Derelict Cathedral (third map).
Reduced number of enemies that spawn after completing a wave in the first 3 maps.
Reduced the cost of all chests in the first 3 maps.
Skeletons now attack 40% faster making them more in-line with how fast other enemies attack.
Activating the Rune Stone after defeating a boss now fully heals the player.
Repositioned the Rune Stone after defeating the first boss to be more visible.
New attack sounds on enemies in Castle Courtyard and Derelict Cathedral.
Fixes:
Fixed several areas in Abyssal Perdition where enemies could get stuck.
The development team of BackRooms X is pleased to announce the launch of the closed alpha version of the game.
This is a significant milestone in the project's development, and we invite a limited number of players to be among the first to evaluate key gameplay aspects and help us improve the game ahead of its full release.
Participation in the testing is limited. Access to the alpha version will be granted via special keys, which can be obtained through official giveaways and events hosted on our Discord channel.
If you wish to become part of the testing community and contribute to the development of BackRooms X, stay tuned for updates in our official communities and on the game's Steam page.
Your feedback and suggestions are extremely important to us. Together, we can make BackRooms X a truly unique game in the backrooms genre.
Hello everyone, and welcome to the second developer diary for Iron Convoy!
In this devlog, we want to share what we have accomplished so far and the steps we plan to take moving forward.
An Important Period Ahead! We have a crucial period coming up as we prepare to showcase our demo during Steam Next Fest. Over the past two weeks, we have reached 500 wishlists, which is an exciting milestone for us! We sincerely thank everyone who has shown interest in our game, played the demo, added it to their wishlist, and shared their feedback.
During this time, we have received a lot of feedback regarding both the demo and the early access version. We have worked hard to address the feedback as quickly as possible and fix any issues. Our goal is to make Iron Convoy even more enjoyable for you, and we will continue improving the game at full speed!
Steam Next Fest! We released our demo about two weeks ago, and many players have supported us since then. Thank you all for your incredible support!
Yesterday, we released another update for the demo. Before Next Fest begins, we plan to release one final hotfix and update. After that, our focus will shift towards preparing for early access.
Early Access! While we cannot give an exact release date yet, we plan to launch early access shortly after Next Fest. In fact, we have already started preparing for it! As we previously shared in our roadmap, we have a clear vision of the content and features we want to add during this phase.
For the early access release, we aim to fix existing issues, expand gameplay, and introduce the first chapter of the story.
What’s Coming in Early Access? Improved Combat System – More diverse enemies, formation changes, new abilities, and a greater focus on tactical battles!
Trade System – Trade will now influence the in-game economy. As you explore cities, you will hear rumors and gather trade tips, helping you make strategic decisions.
Warlords – Powerful enemies will roam certain areas of the map. While these battles will be more challenging, they will also reward you with unique loot that cannot be found elsewhere.
Vehicles & Convoy Customization – New vehicles will be added, allowing you to shape your convoy as you see fit. We will also introduce more customization options for existing vehicles.
New Missions – Additional quests will be introduced, expanding both gameplay and the main story!
We are working tirelessly to make Iron Convoy the best experience it can be. Thank you once again for following and supporting us!
