Greetings Lampbearers,

We’re delighted to share with you the next big optimization update, which also marks the start of our ongoing PVP/PVE balancing split, as well as the much requested improvements to the lock-on system and boss difficulty increases.

This week’s highlights include:

• We've successfully completed a custom engine improvement to allow us to use nanite for all Umbral meshes which should mean a noticeable improvement on performance while in Umbral (for the brave few who’ll hang around long enough to notice) This is in addition to our usual overall performance improvements in several areas of the game, specified below in the notes.
• New lock-on system activated! We've been extensively testing different options, and believe the simpler approach of locking-on to the centre of the screen is the most effective one. So we’ve made this the new default setting, though you still have the ability to switch to other lock-on options in settings, including "Legacy" (the previous default).
• The first step of our PVP/PVE balancing split is here, with much more to come in the near future! We can now start independently balancing spells, so today’s update focuses on the most overpowered spells and ranged abilities (based on feedback and internal telemetry) for PVP only - this has ZERO impact on PVE.
• By popular demand, we've finalized a complete overhaul to all bosses in the game. It was clear (both from your feedback and our internal findings) that many bosses simply weren’t posing enough of a challenge, so we have rebalanced some behaviors, as well as their hit points and damage output, to ensure they pose the correct level of difficulty at that point in your journey. Please find further details below.
• We have integrated the latest version of DLSS3, meaning you can now manually activate the most recent Frame Generation update by using a special command (-DLSSFG). Once we confirm through Sentry that this new FG is stable, we'll activate it for everyone with 40 series by default.
• Furthermore, in collaboration with NVIDIA and AMD, we've activated additional data for Sentry reports to gather more details on the remaining hardware that is unfortunately still experiencing some crashes in our game. This will help us pinpoint the issues both quicker and more accurately, and enable our partners to update the GPU drivers accordingly.

As previously mentioned, we continue to work hard on all of the free content we revealed in last week’s Content Roadmap. And can exclusively reveal that you won’t have to wait long until the first content drop…

And with that, let's dive into the patch notes!


[h4]Lock-On Overhaul[/h4]
New Lock-On system activated! We've extensively tested various options, and we believe that the simpler approach of locking onto the center of the screen is the best choice. Therefore, this is now the new default. You also have other lock-on options, including "Legacy" (which maintains the default setting prior to this patch).

In the settings, you can now select your preferred Lock-On priority system:

• Precision prioritizes enemies that are closer to the center of your screen within a specified maximum limit (enemies on the borders are ignored).
• Dynamic prioritizes enemies that are closer to the center of the screen without limits. This is the default option.
• Proximity prioritizes enemies that are nearest to the player.
• Legacy represents the original Lock-On system from the game's launch.

[h4]Endings[/h4]
For those players who got blocked at the Umbral ending, unable to finish the game, we have great news: now when you load the character that should have received the ending, you will see the credits directly, receive the proper achievements, the proper rewards, and then get the prompt to move to NG+1, NG+0, or stay in the current world. This will also fix a potential (though not reported) issue with the Rhogar ending, should it ever occur.

Thanks to players sharing their saves, this has greatly helped us find the issue, and the safe way to fix it.

[h4]Stability[/h4]

• We've updated NVIDIA's DLSS3 streamline, but we have not activated Frame Generation by default yet. We'll do so once we secure its stability. To enable it, you can use this command in Steam: Lords > Properties > Launch Options and enter '-DLSSFG.' This will activate the Frame Generation option in your Graphics settings if you are using a 40 series.
• In collaboration with EPIC, we've fixed an engine loading deadlock that can happen when using low profile CPUs. Thanks Marn for helping us profile this on his PC!
• We've noticed that some players were using ALT+F4 during the ending cinematic, especially the Umbral one, possibly out of concern about not having a way back. We've added an additional failsafe to support an ALT+F4 exit there. However, please keep in mind that you can still choose whether to continue or exit the game after the cinematic, so there's no need to exit the game prematurely. This also covers any potential crash that could happen in that moment (or a power outage!).
• We've enabled additional data collection for Sentry reports to gather more details about crashes occurring on specific hardware. This will help us pinpoint driver issues more accurately for NVIDIA and AMD.
• We've added a warning when starting the game with Rivatuner activated. We've observed through Sentry that overclocking GPUs/CPUs remains as one of the primary causes of crashes.

[h4]Performance[/h4]

• We've made an engine improvement to allow us to use nanite for Umbral meshes. This should result in a noticeable performance improvement while in Umbral. For those who are curious, Umbral meshes require a complex shader that uses alpha masks, camera occlusion, animation support, vertex-animated options, pixel depth offset, and world position offset. None of these were supported by nanite meshes before. Now, once the full transition to Umbral is complete, we can take advantage of nanite technology by selectively swapping meshes depending on their shader needs.
• We've implemented a significant optimization for the dread spawning mechanisms, ensuring that being in Umbral should no longer cause performance drops, even when surrounded by Umbral zombies.
• Optimization of Umbral levels (Castle's donjon) involved the deletion of some hidden meshes.
• Reduced the number of actors casting shadows in Skyrest Bridge ramparts.
• Reduced the number of actors casting shadows in Lower Calrath's Alehouse.
• Reduced the number of actors casting shadows in the Tower of Penance.
• Reduced the number of actors casting shadows in the supply path to the Manse.
• Collision optimization was performed in Lower Calrath's Bridge area.
• Reduced the number of actors casting shadows in Skyrest's frame area.
• Reduced the number of actors casting shadows in Redcopse Village.
• Performed a casting shadow pass in Upper Calrath's miner district.
• Optimization of Umbral levels in Lower Calrath involved deleting hidden meshes and preventing camera occlusion in meshes far away from the player.
• Reduced the number of actors casting shadows in Lower Calrath's Upper Gate.
• Reduced the number of actors casting shadows and removed foliage painted in the landscape that was far from the player and not visible in Redcopse forest.
• In the Manse of the Hallowed Sentinels, we conducted a second pass to reduce the number of actors casting shadows, focusing on small things and details.
• Reduced the number of actors casting shadows in Lower Calrath's Bridge area.
• Reduced the number of actors casting shadows in Upper Calrath's nobles district.
• Optimization of Umbral levels in Skyrest Bridge involved deleting hidden meshes and preventing camera occlusion in meshes far away from the player.
• Global collision optimization, bug fixes, and improvements were made across the Fief of the Chill Curse.
• Umbral optimization in Pieta's arena at Skyrest Bridge involved deleting hidden meshes and preventing camera occlusion in some meshes.
• Reduced the number of actors casting shadows in Lower Calrath's smelter area.
• Further reductions in actors casting shadows, added extra occluders, and deleted actors inside/behind walls at Skyrest Bridge frame (Passageways/Big Towers/Underbridge/Top Bridge, etc).

[h4]Bosses[/h4]

• All non-main bosses have received a health boost ranging from 10% to 20%, depending on the player's game progression (less of a boost at the start of the game and a higher boost towards the end).
• All non-main bosses have received an overall 10% boost to their damage output, with adjustments made on a case-by-case basis to ensure they provide the appropriate level of challenge.
• The Unbroken Promise has received a significant health increase of 18% and a 15% boost in damage output following the behavior enhancement introduced two weeks ago. We noticed that some players were engaging with it, and we felt it needed additional health and damage to match its improved (more aggressive) behavior.
• The Lightreaper now has slightly more health, with a 10% increase, to make the final part of the combat more engaging. We observed that players were having fun, but the encounter was just a bit too short.
• Following the behavior enhancement of the Sunless Monarch, we found that we were very close to achieving the desired level of difficulty. However, we decided to add a little more health (8%) and increase the damage of its attacks (10%) to truly provide the challenge we intended after last week's overall behavioral improvement.
• The Sacred Resonance will now typically use the stairs to descend and will only drop through the hole if there's an opportunity to strike the player.

[h4]AI[/h4]

• Added and adjusted leashing volumes in Revelation Depths.
• Improved leashing volumes in the Cistern.
• The AI could get stuck due to collisions after using a navlink. The collisions were improved to create a straight angle in the Sunless Skein.
• The Abiding Defenders could get on top of the chest in the Manse arena. A blocking volume with "block only pawn" has been placed there, but it still allows the player to open the chest and obtain the loot.
• Navmesh has been added to the moving platform to prevent potential cheesing of the Scarlet Shadow in one of Pilgrim's Perch's moving platforms.
• Adjusted leashing volumes in the Manse to allow hounds to pursue players a bit further away than other enemy types.
• Navmesh improvements have been made in some spots in the Forsaken Fen, and a general Navmesh Pass has been performed.
• Adjusted arch/door size in Bramis Castle and made some combat space improvements to help with the fight against the Ruiner. Now it's harder to hide from him. We love cheese, but cheezing with moderation.

[h4]Umbral[/h4]

The player was able to soulflay the platform they were standing on under certain conditions. This has now been fixed.

[h4]Balancing (PVE)[/h4]

• Fixed an issue with the Lightreaper sword special attack. Now it's reactivated and can be used as intended. Players still have to complete the questline in order to unlock them.
• We're are more leniant now when sprinting, so after a roll, you do not need to press "sprint" again, your sprint keeps going (if enough stamina is left, oc).
• Fixed an issue where Pieta's Simulacrum spell could shoot through the floor and walls.
• Fixed an issue with vigor muliplier runes that could result in unexpected damage output
• Pumpskin helmet is now droppable/sellable - we are not sure why anyone would want to do this - objectively makes no sense - but now you can decide to do it, anyway
• Buffed the Exploding Bolt decreasing its ammo cost from 10 to 4, and its damage multiplier boosted from 1.9 to 3.8.
• Buffed the Shattering Bolt by decreasing its ammo cost from 10 to 4, and its holy damage multiplier increased from 1.9 to 3.8.
• Dark Abbess Banner has received probably the biggest buff of all: ammo cost reduced from 15 to 4; physical damage multiplier increased from 0.5 to 1.0; physical burst damage from 2.0 to 4.0; and its fire damage multiplier from 1.5 to 3.0.
• We've discovered a bug in which Hallowed Triptych would make all holy damage sources delivering unintended additional stagger damage. For example: from 10 intended stagger damage, would be delivering 11 or even 13 in some cases. This has been corrected. As now the bug is corrected, we can increase the Hallowed Triptych's stagger by +10%

[h4]Balancing (PVP)[/h4]
First step of our PVP/PVE split is here, yet not finished!

This one is a proper PVP scaler for spells and arrows/bolts for PVP.

ZERO impact on PVE, just a pure PVP specific scaler for those.

Now using spells, ammo or throwables in PVP, shouldn't be OP.

[h4]Multiplayer[/h4]

• We've seen quite a few questions on how passwords work for multiplayer, so we've decided to add a visual HUD indicator when password is on. For COOP, will always remain there until you manually delete the password. For PVP, now it fades away after 2 minutes, so you can understand that you'll be matchmaked for PVP with "anybody" from that point-on not just with people with password.
• Added additional information when disconnecting from multiplayer sessions.

[h4]Collisions[/h4]

• Fixed an issue with a navmesh in the mysterious (very angry) knight arena.
• Adjusted moth walls to prevent players from leaving the boss encounter with Ursula, Infernal Enchantress and Otto.
• Adjusted moth walls to prevent players from leaving the boss encounter at a bridge near a big castle.
• Adjusted moth walls to prevent players from leaving the boss encounter in the Fief of the Chill Curse
• Improved several collisions in the canyon in Deep Forest.
• Fixed a collision issue where the player could fall through the world in the Smelter zone
• Fixed several collisions to prevent players from skipping a big part of Redcopse Village.
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck close to walls near the Vestige of Bloody Pilgrim
• Adjusted collisions near the swamp road to prevent projectiles to get stuck mid-air
• Improved collisions for better navigation at Lower Calrath's Bridged area.
• Added collisions to several Umbral wall pieces in the Beacon Tower in Deep Forest.
• Adjusted collisions to prevent players from accessing the bridge edges in Fief of the Chill Curse.
• Improved collisions for better navigation at the start of Fief of the Chill Curse.
• Adjusted collisions to prevent players from skipping an area in Manse.
• Added a blocking volume to prevent players from skipping the Forsaken Fen.
• Fixed several collisions to prevent players from skipping Ursula's encounter.
• Fixed an issue that allowed players to skip a large part of Bramis Castle by killing a Rhogar Architect in long distance near the Sundered Monarch encounter.
• Fixed an issue where players could die immediately after respawning in Umbral near the Bringer of Silence encounter.
• Fixed several collision issues in the canyon in Deep Forest.
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck at certain crystals in Bramis Castle.
• Fixed an issue where the player's character could clip through stone walls in Bramis Castle.
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck while exploring the area near the lava river in Bramis Castle.
• Fixed an issue that allowed players to reach the forge area of Lower Calrath by jumping from a broken bridge near the boss arena.
• Fixed a collision issue with certain wooden planks in Pilgrim's Perch.
• Fixed an issue with a stuck Bringer of Stilness that prevented him from moving and attacking in Lower Calrath if the player was at a specific spot.
• Improved navigation, collision and camera clipping in the Fief's Beacon Area, Bramis Castle and Upper Calrath.
• Fixed a collision issue where the player could fall through the world in Manse Cellar.
• Fixed several collisions for beds and stairs in Manse Leprosarium.

[h4]Lighting[/h4]

• Improved lighting by adjusting contrast and monochromatic look of the area between the Forsaken Fen's vista and the Shuja Hamlet.
• Improved lighting on the Supply Route to Manse.

[h4]Visuals[/h4]

• Fixed a visual glitch with the Crimson Rector outfits.
• Fixed visual glitches that could occur while turning in place.
• Fixed an issue where the Hallowed Knight belt shadow was wrongly cast.
• Fixed an issue where a black cube was displayed in Defiled Sepulchre.
• Fixed an issue with a lightreaper cutscene that could occur when fire was cast on it just before the cutscene triggered.
• Fixed a visual glitch with incense burners that had Nanite enabled.
• We've fixed an issue when calibrating HDR in-game and at the same time changing PS5's native HDR output was changed.
• Fixed broken amphora materials in Abbey of the Hallowed Sisters and Empyrean.
• Fixed visual glitches with the Abiding Defender and the Sin-Piercer outfits.
• Added an option to deactivate Umbral distortion effects by popular demand.
• Fixed an issue where the left-handed holstered weapons were not properly aligned with the right-handed holstered weapons position on the character's back.

[h4]UI[/h4]

• Fixed an issue where lock-on could overlap with tutorial messages in very rare occasions.
• Added catalyst spell power stats to the inventory tab.
• Further improvements to the UI when completing a crimson ritual.

[h4]Audio[/h4]

• Added sound effects for the Conflagrant Seer's Crystal Straight spell.
• Improved the sound effects for player stabs.

Check out our 2023 roadmap here.

In Light we Walk.

Virtual photographies in this post are courtesy of 6VAC1 - created with the in-game 3D Photo Mode




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