Patch Info
Summary
Bug fixes, improved visual clarity and... aquariums!
This patch is a "Frontline Patch"! It's intended for players who want to help out with testing, or if you're having a specific issue that is solved in this patch!
The default/Stable branch on Steam, as well as the Humble/GOG branches, will be updated after this has been in testing for 1-2 weeks!
Details
About the patch
Clarity Improvements
Another one of the things we really felt like we wanted to address in the game is the clarity/readability of the action. That is, to reduce the risk of the character “getting lost” in the playfield. This is especially common when playing in multiplayer, and playing with summons. The amount of moving things on the screen can reach quite ridiculous levels, and sometimes it’s hard to keep track of where you are, and where threats might be coming from.
Tackling this both felt important, and was an interesting design and technical challenge! How the system ended up was a combination of different approaches that we feel do their job well, without taking away from the visual experience:
The game will detect when a situation is getting messy, and will start to fade out distracting elements that might not be super important to players. This includes allied players' summons, trinkets, passive ally NPCs, allied players themselves and their spell effects, and even your own summons (if you have changed the clutter reduction to a high setting)!
In addition, your own character will be subtly rendered in the foreground, appearing above obstructions so it's easier to keep track of yourself. Lastly, when the game judges something as "interesting" for the player (such as an enemy about to attack you, or an enemy projectile), that too will be subtly rendered in the foreground.
When you're no longer in combat, these changes will fade away and everything will return to normal.
You can adjust how aggressively the game will apply these changes, ranging from turning off the system completely, to having it turn on as soon as any fighting begins.
During our testing, this system has felt quite helpful, and we hope you guys will enjoy the improvements to visual clarity as well!
Housing Items
You've been able to show off your weapon collection in your player house for a long time, but hats have been a different story! Now we've finally added a Hat Display, upon which you can put hats and facegear!
We've also introduced a few different sized Aquariums that you'll earn as rewards for catching fish! You can place them in your home, and then put fishes you've caught inside!
Button Guides for More Controller Types
It's now possible to change what controller type the in-game guides display! That is, the help bar at the bottom of the menus and such. You can change between XBox, Nintendo, or PlayStation!
Perk for Unfinished Challenges in Arcade Mode
Finishing all the different challenges of the higher floors in Arcade Mode in order to get the achievements has been a rather unreasonable thing to do unless you've been very lucky with the RNG, since you don't just need to beat the challenge, you actually have to randomly get the ones you haven't beaten yet!
To help with this, there is now a very situational perk available that, when activated, will make sure that
Patch Notes
Version 1.03a (July 31, Main Patch)
Additions
- Added a 'Clarity System' that aims to reduce clutter and increase playfield readability in intense situations, especially in multiplayer
- It's now possible to select button prompts that match PlayStation and Nintendo controllers
- Added an Arcade Mode perk that guarantees that you'll encounter Challenge Rooms that you haven't yet beaten (if any) - for achievement hunters! [Only available in Single Player!]
- Added Aquarium housing items in a few sizes - get them by talking to Haddock (Story Mode) or Bett (Arcade Mode)!
- Players who have only played in multiplayer will now get the option to 'inherit' the last multiplayer world when playing offline for the first time
Changes
- Updated the graphics of Frosty Friend's 'ability ready'-indicators
- The fishing perk in Arcade Mode now has a much greater effect
Bug Fixes
- Fixed some bugs that could cause crashes when changing display modes while in-game
- If gifting away the Purple Garland, it will now be unequipped if worn
- Fixed a bug that sometimes made the game skip the difficulty selection when creating a new character
- Fixed a bug where redecorating the house in multiplayer could sometimes desync, causing various issues
- Moving the Plant Blade pot no longer removes the interaction collider, and it's also easier to interact with
- The 'Hide Discovered' button in the crafting menu now actually works!
What's next?
If nothing major arises, this update will make its way to Stable and the other storefronts in 1-2 weeks!
After that, New Game+ awaits!
