Zeklo

Bearger is simple, and I do wish the fur wasn't mainly hue-shifted, but it's okay overall. Deerclops looks very weird due to the amount of depth on the ice compared to deerclops itself. It also feels like a missed opportunity to not give them a unique horn shape. The Varg is epic, but gosh I love that frog.

Gosh, I continue to hold endless hope to see these & the puffers in game some point in the future.

A single eye like Maxwell's forge skin/Hallowed Nights Crockpot could've been cool for the cowl.

It's not a good solution because it went from 'problem you want something to deter' to 'pointless annoyance.' Not to say they weren't, more or less, a pointless annoyance before, but the destruction gave enough incentive to seek a solution. Now though, it adds absolutely nothing but harmless tedium to mine.

To add to people's 'expanding' Umbrella suggestion. Rather than a stagnant object, if it worked like a staff that just casted an 'umbrella' that floats above the player. I think that would, not only make it incredibly useful for the acid rain, but then also be a convenience for the usual rain in spring. That way you can just cast this 'buff' and use whatever equipment (which ofc includes the Brightshade gear for murdering shadow fellas). It would be freeing and worthwhile. Then you just gotta add a 'less protective' piece of gear for the moments before you kill the Ink Blights, and voila. Unless Klei has some other anti-acid rain features planned, I really think the extra work would be worth it.

There really isn't much purpose for the umbrella if the void armor provides full acid rain protection. I'm not sure that's the ideal direction to go. Especially because... isn't the whole idea to wear the Brightshade gear to fight shadow monsters? Similar concerns with the boulders. I said it before but I don't want less problems, I want more solutions. The boulders remain an addition that don't add a whole lot other than mining tedium. I'm frankly not really sure what the point is. At least acid rain gives us a boost in nitre from ponds and bats. The talking scythe & NWP statue are cool. As a whole though, I'm very concerned now that the cave mechanics are going to wind up half baked. I do understand you're on a schedule but the solutions chosen here are very simple, mundane, and don't provide a lot of fun 'counterplay' wiggle room.

Art wise the update knocks things out of the park per usual. I'm still optimistic about the coming updates, but that is a feeling held entirely by the notion that these two parallel pieces of content are a foundation for much more. As others have said, the umbrella is rather eyebrow raising for the solution to be handed in tandem with the problem. So long as this is step one of several, that's fine (and I assume that's still the case). In fact, the introduction of an environmental effect is really cool! At least so long as it will exist as an obstacle between what we have now and the future. The new enemies are very unique, and I continue to love the usage of additional mechanics to give combat more oomph. Kudos! I do admit though, I don't quite see the purpose of the Shadow Rifts. Other than serving as an indicator (or minor nuisance to the proximity), the bulk of what the player will want to seek out comes from the Ink Blights. Unless there's some further interaction we'll see in the future I just don't really understand it compared to the Lunar Ones. I also continue to be confused at the spread of equipment. The "Shadow Side" can get Dreadstone, and some armor, pre-questline. While the Moon Side can't, yet is given more tools compared to the Shadow Side. I would even go as far as to say that the Shadow Side is 'more difficult' or at the very least unfriendly comparably. The darkness of the caves + new cave environmental effects + the harder to combat enemies surprisingly result in less craftables. I imagine more will be added later, and perhaps additions were stalled to make them more noteworthy (possibly per the criticisms of the lunar tools)? All in all, still not a lot I can comment on in full force, but exciting developments nonetheless.

Oh nice.

I am going to commit so many crimes.

It's been a long ride. Looking forward to the next ten. ^^

A day before is one thing, but leaving it up for a couple days to come seems a bit in poor faith.

This is grand! It's very easy to tell that you need a different weapon to be more effective. Though I think being hit could still be a bit more coherent. The visual definitely helps, but I think it's the sound on the former that makes it click so well.

You have no idea how much I want a massive centipede boss in the caves. Like the last remnant of what the Sentrypede's were modelled after.

Hmm. With like... // Nightmare Fuel = Moon Glass // and // Pure Horror = Pure Brilliance // I almost feel like we need a Thulecite parallel for the Lunar side.

Cat mouth Charlie is cute. But wow, the implications here are crazy. I imagine they initially tried to use the gateway to return home? Makes Charlie dealing the final blow all the more personal. Extra spicy when you consider how the Shadow Watcher is portrayed in the early puzzles & animatic. With the Fuelweaver having that Watcher attack and all. (Heck the 'clump' of Watchers could be the 'Us' that's mentioned—Multiple? Collective? Them?) Really looking forward to where the story is going!