[Experimental] - 450194

[Kevin]

Hi Grifters!

The current update cycle is focused on bugfixes, balance tweaks, and just a smattering of new content. We're getting the game ready for 1.0 and the console release (exact dates TBD), and buying a little time while we work on the Smith finale. The finale will be available as soon as (probably before) it's ready on experimental, but we're going to hold it back from release until 1.0 actually comes out.

All of this makes F8s more important than ever, so they are much appreciated! 

UI

• Add a Reset User Settings option to the Setting screen.
• Hiding the gamepad hints on the bottom bar for the Options Screen tabs since they already sow near the tabs themselves
• Changing the card scale on the tooltips, for the different UI scaling modes
• Showing the right gamepad hint for the pause button depending on the current control mode. Also when the pause button is hidden, the focus loop goes through the relationship indicator, instead of the pause button. And when the top bar is opened with a gamepad, the focus is given to the :GetDefaultFocus() widget, instead of the pause button. Also fixed the corner button's layout issues when animating focus in/out
• Adjust slideshow text font to fit.
• Showing tooltips on gamepad mode on the Perks screen
• Fix for controller reticule getting stuck off if you talked to foolo before facing oolo.
• Update text related to card xp gains to use tl;dr style, for consistency.
• Add text notating which cards were upgraded to fight club oppo.
• Refresh hints on DayOverScreen after the animation coro has finished.
• Move minigame objective widget from overlay to CardsPanel so it doesn't overlap card choices, etc.
• Only batch unique textures during font rendering.  Fixes multiple controller images from sometimes not showing up if they overflow the samplers.
• Fix max perk tier limit popup showing even if you are simply swapping a same-tier perk.
• Add 'liked' dialog at end of random event, so you aren't fighting your friends.
• Replaced untrained_pet_card quip that was yote specific
• The end of turn "are you sure?" prompt no longer shows if the only playable cards are empty bottles
• Don't generate random roll for negotiation damage previews (we show the range)
• CardsPanel:LayoutButtons was being called 16 times during the the init process.  Removing a bunch of manual calls to OnScreenMode/OnControlMode changed, since these are automatically called recursively by Widget.  NegotiationPanel:OnGainTop doesn't need to exist for a similar reason.   I can't be certain there aren't some weird edge cases that cutting 16 layout calls down to 3 are going to miss, but better to fix those a different way.

GAMEPLAY

• Added combat behaviour, boon, bane and death loot for the Admiralty Investigators
• Fix progression blocker when you provoke and kill the proprietor of the hat shop who hates you at the start of deep undercover
• The fight in rook_story_expedition_monsters.lua is now only NO_DEATH_LOOT if it is against the big pack feral autodogs
• dismiss your chosen partner, if you manage to keep them through the mullifee encounter
• Lowered damage on the Pearlie's Confidence and increased their composure gains slightly
• Nerfed the Lumicytes slightly
• Changed combat party in side_smith_render_unto_hesh.lua to not include an upgraded lumicyte 
• Crash fix: Remove 'warn' option if Tei is no longer alive.
• Fix to rescue soft-locked day 3 Smith quests when "The Ambush" should be completed but isn't.
• Day 3 Smith: Fix soft-lock when completing go_empty objective
• Enable the Counterplay, Total Upgrade achievements.

CARDS

• Smith Combat Balance Pass:
•     - Tracer now scales 1:1 with it's stacks instead of 1:2
•     - Slam has drink 2 instead of 1
•     - softened Chest Pound has been replaced by Boosted Chest Pound
•     - Biting Chest Pound now deals 2 damage twice instead of 3 damage twice
•     - Down the Hatch now draws a card and only has drink 2
•     - Inspirational Blow now deals 3-5 damage and has a threshold of 5
•     - Nap's Defense increased by 1
•     - Rib Cracker damage increased to 3-5
•     - Rubble applies 3 defend per card discarded instead of scaling with cost
•     - Snelleck's Finest applies Moxie instead of healing
•     - Splinter now deals 5-7 base damage
•     - Batter Up is no longer Restrained and deals 1-2 damage
•     - Body Blow can now be triggered by either Trauma or Traumatized
•     - Cavalcade cost reduced to 1
•     - Despreation damage increase to 10-12
•     - Entire Supply now hits all enemies, base damage lowered slightly
•     - Gulper now draws two cards before its effect
•     - Gumption cost reduced to 1, moved to Rare
•     - Hurricane now deals 3-4 damage
•     - Stoke no longer Expends, Enduring upgrade replaced by Pale
•     - The Gamble now grants 3 actions but damage is 1-4 with a threshold of 4
•     - Bio-Strike no longer expends
•     - Blood Flow no longer expends
•     - Certainty cost reduced to 2
•     - Jackpot damage increased to 2-5
•     - Juicer now alleviates equal to your moxie instead of your adrenaline
•     - Protective Procedure cost reduced to 2
•     - Rooted Pain Train damage increased to 15
•     - Thickness cost reduced to 1, Expend removed.
•     - Tough and Angry now always has Apply instead of Gain. Focused upgrade replaced by boosted with better scaling
• The following cards have been completely reworked:
•     - Swig: "Drink 2. Gain one of the following: 2 Moxie, 2 Adrenaline, 4 Defense or 1 Power."
•     - Bottomless Vial: "Drink. Gain 3 Moxie and return this to your hand and give it Burnout."
•     - Shrewd: "Gain defense equal to the damage of your target’s next attack."
• Reworked 5 Smith Negotiation cards:
•     - Consolidate: Spend 3 Renown: Add 2 resolve to a friendly argument
•     - Associates: Gain 2 Renown for every person that loves you
•     - Ditch: Discard any number of cards, gain 2 renown per card discarded
•     - Go Between: Gain: Damage spills over to this argument before your core argument
•     - Renounce: Attack a random argument. Expend any number of cards in your hand and attack once per card Expended
• Battle item balance pass:
•     A lot of items now have more uses to encourage using them rather than letting them sit around in your deck. Hatch cards have been reduced in XP to make them more inticing to pick up in loot, even later in the game. Minor power level changes to some of the weaker cards.
•     - Targeting Core: now has 2 uses rather than being permanent. (they're easy to get but you only really need one)
•     - Tincture: Increased uses to 2
•     - Vial of Slurry: Increased uses to 3
•     - Robone: Increased uses to 3
•     - Vroc Whistle: Increased uses to 3
•     - Automech Blaster: Increased uses from 1 to 3
•     - Bandage: now a general item available in shops, increase to 3 uses, increased cost to 2
•     - Heshian Mask: Increased uses to 2
•     - Letter Opener: Increased uses to 3
•     - Utility Belt: Increased uses to 4
•     - Vapor Vial: Increased uses to 3, reduced cost to 0
•     - Yote Horn: Increased uses to 2
•     - Pickled Floater: Increased uses to 2
•     - Spicy Noodles: Increased uses to 2
•     - Hawb Drumstick: Increased uses to 2
•     - Hearty Noodles: Increased uses to 2
•     - Jammed Blaster: Reduced hatch to 4
•     - Learning Drone: Reduced hatch to 4
•     - Lockbox: Reduced hatch to 4
•     - Flead Egg: Reduced hatch to 4
•     - Enfeebling Ray: Impair increased from 1 to 2
•     - High Yield Lumin Bomb: Increased damage to 4-6
•     - Shrapnel Grenade: Minimum damage increased by 2
•     - Spark Shot: Base damage increased to 4-5
•     - Sequencer: Select from entire deck rather than just hand
•     - Oshnu Glue: Cost reduced from 1 to 0
•     - Anchor: Increased temp power to 3
•     - Hanbi's Power Supply: Increased Power to 2
•     - Oshnu Bile: Reduced damage to 2-4
•     - Denikus' Blaster: Can now apply trauma as the random debuff
• Balance pass for negotiation items:
•     - Liquid Courage: Increased to 3 uses
•     - Admiralty Intel: Reduced to 2 Influence but increased to 2 uses
•     - Admiralty Orders: Reduced to 2 Dominance but increased to 2 uses
•     - Rise Manifesto: Increased to 2 uses
•     - Banquod Pendant: Added Replenish
•     - Scaled Admiralty Envelop: Reduced Hatch to 4
•     - Zest Noodles: Increased to 2 uses, added Expend
• Added missing event priority for Smith's Executive
• "High Places"s cost reduction is now a SETTOR to prevent things like Call To Rise from interfering with its cost
• Smith's Protective Procedure now previews the correct amount of defense in its tooltip
• Fixed crash in the OnPostResolve on Ditch
• Bladder Gland now shows the correct adrenaline gain in its tooltip
• Fixed typo that caused a crash when viewing the "Ditch" card
• Do not clamp damage during modification, clamp only at the very end.  This allows modifiers to "cancel" eachother out, such as LUMIN_DAZE and CONCENTRATION.
• fixed bug where Targeted and Protect on separate fighters could cause enemies to be unable to attack either. Enemies now prioritize the fighter with Protect
• Fixed bug causing Rampart to account for Exposed on the enemy instead of the player
• Fixed bug where the Tempered card showed an incorrect defense amount
• Fixed incorrect spelling of the drink_fancy anim for some of Smith's cards
• Fixed bug where the FIGHT_ALLY_WON argument did not show it's resolve bar when created
• Gemini will now preview both hits if its requirements are met.
• Fixed bug where Power and Power Loss from Kindling was lasting a turn too long
• Raise will only choose non-zero cost cards to benefit.
• Reworked Inner Rage II (finally)
• Fixed bug that caused multiple stacks of Power Through to reduce enemy damage
• Fixed bug where splash damage triggered Seemli's Sly

View full update

[RageLeague]

1 hour ago, Kevin said:

The current update cycle is focused on bugfixes, balance tweaks, and just a smattering of new content. We're getting the game ready for 1.0 and the console release (exact dates TBD), and buying a little time while we work on the Smith finale. The finale will be available as soon as (probably before) it's ready on experimental, but we're going to hold it back from release until 1.0 actually comes out.

 

I'm a bit surprised that 1.0 is coming so soon, considering there's a lot of things still feels very incomplete. For example, a lot of the locations in rook and smith's story doesn't have anything special for you to do, and you don't get the opportunity to explore the various locations. In sal's story, you are given random side quests from strangers, forcing you to go to different public places where they hang out, and at those public places, you can do a lot of useful things like buying noodles(at a ridiculously cheap price for such a good item), buying weapons and healing items. In rook and smith's story, you don't get to explore a lot, as side quests are given by handlers instead of strangers, and there are not a lot of places cast members can be in.

Furthermore, a lot of places in their story feels very incomplete. You would think you can buy stuff at the company store, but apparently not. There is supposed to be a front to the party store, but I see no "front" - It's just some poor merchant serving as an entrance to the back room. You must eat at your home bar for some reason, even though there are plenty of restaurants like the Caffy or Bistro Rentori. There's a Rise mentioning that the swill is better at Hebbel's bar than at the Rise headquarters, which is vacuously true, considering that there is no bar at the Rise headquarters. The "neutral" bar owned by Hebbel is obviously a Spree-operated bar, and people from all sides come and drink, until you realize that it drives the spark barons and the civilians away, so only the outlaws like the rise, jakes, and the boggers shows up. Not to mention the location icons for anything added after Sal's day 4 is non-existent, which causes them to show up as temp when used during quests.

I think a good idea is to allow more things to be done at different locations, like adding shopkeepers and different interactables, while also allowing cast members for handler's quest to appear in more than one location.

[pacovf]

6 hours ago, Kevin said:

The end of turn "are you sure?" prompt no longer shows if the only playable cards are empty bottles

 

Smith just became 50% more playable without turning off that warning completely!

[ZeppMan217]

A lot of the gameplay changes are most welcome, raising the player's power level across the board. However, some things seem a little iffy.

6 hours ago, Kevin said:

    - The Gamble now grants 3 actions but damage is 1-4 with a threshold of 4

When the card did 1-3 damage with a 33% chance to get extra actions, it wasn't very good both in terms of the damage output and the odds. It's now a 25% chance to get extra actions. The card's just not worth a card slot, even if you have Mean Streak.

6 hours ago, Kevin said:

    - Associates: Gain 2 Renown for every person that loves you

So if nobody loves and you see this card being offered, it's a brick. Old Associates was a solid twofer, allowing you to cycle the deck while getting some Renown on the side. Now, you have to rely on Networker, Ransack, and Indecision to get some meaningful card draw. Given the non-existent Discard synergy, this outcome is rather upsetting.

6 hours ago, Kevin said:

    - Targeting Core: now has 2 uses rather than being permanent. (they're easy to get but you only really need one)

In the Campaign mode, only Rook has an easy way of procuring the cores, with Sal having to rely on the random Rise merchant, while Smith has...nothing? There aren't any Spark Baron/Rise shops, nor are the Spark Barons/Rise present in the Pearl mechanized (at least until Day 3).

Brawl's a bit more even in this regard, since you can't buy any non-bar items. Though, Rook has Mech Survival which practically guarantees a core drop.

7 hours ago, Kevin said:

    - Hanbi's Power Supply: Increased Power to 2

1 Power + Replenish for free was enough to ensure that Hanbi would end up two feet under whenever he appeared. At 2 Power, he might as well retire.

Surprised that Brut's Bat, Droad Tail Spike, and Shredmaw Shell weren't buffed. Bat's plain bad on non-Smith characters, and even Smith has to be Trauma focused to make meaningful use of it (Flourish notwithstanding); Tail Spike could use Pierce and Trauma to help differentiate it from Shroog Fang; the Shell could use some Defense (it's snail armor, after all).

[Scrumch]

Good notes! Though I'm surprised we're nearing 1.0 so soon. As for the changes, I honestly feel Smith is strong enough as is! His new threshold cards were a little TOO good imo considering how abundant Adrenaline is. 

Batter Up being reverted back to not being Restrained makes it super strong again, though Full Supply hitting everyone at least makes the choice worth considering. Against single targets and bosses Batter Up will still trump Full Supply 9 times out of 10 for me. 

Consolidates rework feels a little niche now, if anything Smith WANTS low resolve arguments. Though I do get that this is probably for buffing high stacks of Renown to delay the inevitable  30+ damage hit when it finally goes down. 

[ZeppMan217]

30 minutes ago, Scrumch said:

Consolidates rework feels a little niche now, if anything Smith WANTS low resolve arguments. Though I do get that this is probably for buffing high stacks of Renown to delay the inevitable  30+ damage hit when it finally goes down. 

+2 Resolve's not much of a buffer vs 10+ damage hits (which is what usually kills it), unless you consolidate every turn. You could use it to prop up Subtle Setup or Stool Pigeon though. Pity Smith can't get any extra energy.

[Maniafig]

+2 Resolve is pretty weak given the 3 Renown cost on Consolidate. How about if it also increases the stack of an argument by 1? Currently the only card that does that is Bolster, so it's pretty underused design space. 

[ZeppMan217]

5 minutes ago, Maniafig said:

+2 Resolve is pretty weak given the 3 Renown cost on Consolidate. How about if it also increases the stack of an argument by 1? Currently the only card that does that is Bolster, so it's pretty underused design space. 

That'd open an interesting can of worms. If I destroy 2 stacks of Hot Air, would it respawn with +6 damage? How about 3 stacks of Powder Keg dealing 24 damage, and then respawning?

[Scrumch]

The rework Swig is really good! I feel it makes the empty bottle builds more viable now that Smith has a good reason to drink without attacking.

[pacovf]

20 hours ago, RageLeague said:

I'm a bit surprised that 1.0 is coming so soon, considering there's a lot of things still feels very incomplete. For example, a lot of the locations in rook and smith's story doesn't have anything special for you to do, and you don't get the opportunity to explore the various locations. In sal's story, you are given random side quests from strangers, forcing you to go to different public places where they hang out, and at those public places, you can do a lot of useful things like buying noodles(at a ridiculously cheap price for such a good item), buying weapons and healing items. In rook and smith's story, you don't get to explore a lot, as side quests are given by handlers instead of strangers, and there are not a lot of places cast members can be in.

Furthermore, a lot of places in their story feels very incomplete. You would think you can buy stuff at the company store, but apparently not. There is supposed to be a front to the party store, but I see no "front" - It's just some poor merchant serving as an entrance to the back room. You must eat at your home bar for some reason, even though there are plenty of restaurants like the Caffy or Bistro Rentori. There's a Rise mentioning that the swill is better at Hebbel's bar than at the Rise headquarters, which is vacuously true, considering that there is no bar at the Rise headquarters. The "neutral" bar owned by Hebbel is obviously a Spree-operated bar, and people from all sides come and drink, until you realize that it drives the spark barons and the civilians away, so only the outlaws like the rise, jakes, and the boggers shows up. Not to mention the location icons for anything added after Sal's day 4 is non-existent, which causes them to show up as temp when used during quests.

I think a good idea is to allow more things to be done at different locations, like adding shopkeepers and different interactables, while also allowing cast members for handler's quest to appear in more than one location.

While I don't disagree that Murder Bay locations are generally better developed (in a ludonarrative consistency sense) than Grout Bog or Pearl-on-Foam, I find Rook's and Smith's campaign to generally be more interesting than Sal's.

Storywise, Sal only gets to choose which of the two factions to side with, then whether she sticks with them until the end or go her way, which doesn't change much either way. And generally her quests are less interesting than Rook's or Smith's, with a few exceptions. Rook's main quest isn't *that* much more interesting or varied per se, but there's more lore to uncover in the Bog than in the Bay, and he gets wackier quests than Sal. Smith's seems, to me, to have the best story, with very personal stakes and choices on how much you want to side against his family and with Tei (Rook's "choice" between Rise and Barons, by contrast, turns out to be mostly a red herring).

Anyhoo, yeah, while there are some glaring details that are missing (I too have been waiting for Barons at the Last Stand for a while), I wanted to say that I can tell the amount of care that went into the 2nd and 3rd campaign.

...Brawls, on the other hand, maybe not quite so much. 

[ZeppMan217]

Also, with the massive buffs to Moxie cards and the overall softening of Chest Bump, I reckon Pinto Pour could use a bit of fine tuning.

The card is an auto-include regardless of your preferred archetype, that's all fine and dandy. However, Pinto's upgrades don't make much sense as there's practically no situation in which getting 1 extra bottle would be better than getting 1 Power.

With that in mind, I came up with 2 potential replacement upgrades: Stony Pinto Pour - Drink. Gain 2 Power. Gain 3 Defense; Soothing Pinto Pour - Drink. Gain 2 Power. Alleviate 5. The Defense option is a generic all-rounder, providing a minor but appreciable benefit; the Alleviate option is the perfect pick for a masochist Smith, alleviating an entire Back Stretch worth of HP.

Edited February 8, 2021 by ZeppMan217