Devlog#14 and Alpha 0.2.3 (Aguamenti)

Hi everyone! We've spent the weekend working hard and have a lot to share in our next devlog.

1. Work has begun on the boss that our followers chose for "Journey" mode! (You can find sketches of the new boss in a separate post)

2. We have gathered and reviewed your feedback on the "Journey" battle system and plan to implement changes in the next update.

Our initial idea was to make the player choose between carrying rewards or consumables in their inventory, which is why we limited inventory space.
However, we realized that this leads to "unfun" gameplay where the player collects useful items, only to discard them upon finding valuable loot, leaving the map unprepared for further battles.

Therefore, we have planned the following changes:

• Spells will no longer be consumables.

• A separate "spellbook" will be introduced where the player can place spells before embarking on a journey.

• The "spellbook" will save the previous spell set (so you don't have to collect them every time).

• Players will have the ability to upgrade spells using crystals.

• The inventory will be used solely for rewards (now the player will only have to choose between which rewards are more valuable to them).

• Players will be given mana (maximum mana pool + regeneration each turn) and cooldowns on spells. 

3. We have finished developing and integrating a system that will allow you to continue your old saves in the new versions. If you don't have any active tasks, you will need to advance the game by one day to access the new content.

4. We are releasing a new alpha version today for our "Professor" tier subscribers and above.

It will include:

Update 0.2.2.2

• Updated game engine version.

• Items in the Journey shop now become grayed out if you lack the resources to purchase them.

• Fixed the issue with "flashing" transitions between locations where the base state of the location would appear momentarily.

• Removed on-screen buttons from the magic mini-game and added an on-screen touch bar. Now you can cast spells by swiping your finger/cursor across the screen (thanks to Habish for the idea!).

• Removed energy tokens from resource mini-games. Energy is now awarded based on the length of collected chains. The longer the chain, the more energy you receive (thanks to Habish for the idea!).

• Fixed a bug where the "fullscreen mode" checkbox in the settings did not take into account the current state of the screen and could minimize the window each time you exited the settings.

• Updated resource mini-game field generation.

• The mine now generates the playing field in "chunks" – small, ready-to-collect groups of resources. Gradually, the playing field will degrade into a chaotic state to prevent infinite gameplay at the expense of energy.

• Added an active quest widget to the game map HUD. It shows all current tasks and can be hidden by pressing the button in the interface (thanks to Habish for the idea!).

• Updated mini-game tutorial.

• A significant portion of the CG scenes have been transferred to the new "interactive" system. This will significantly improve engagement and allow you to leisurely enjoy the best frames.

Update 0.2.3 (Aguamenti)

• Added a "content delivery" system to support legacy save files.

• Added a new "Beach" storyline.

• Added a new "Beach" location (currently in draft form due to the background artist being on vacation).

• Added two new CG scenes, one of which is animated.

• Added a new reward card featuring Irroth, the Grand Librarian, for subscribers at the "Headmaster" tier.

• Added outlines to the text in the Active Quests widget for better readability in all locations.

• Fixed a potential issue that could break the "text input" in the PC version.

• Fixed a potential issue with the tavern's state resetting after a party.

• Changed the text of the empty quest log to avoid misleading players.

• Updated the reward card logic to support "exclusive layers" (ensuring only one costume for a character is displayed at a time).

• Added a portrait to the Pensieve for Louise.

You can find sketches of the new boss and download links for the update in a separate post.