[h1]Greetings Dice Slingers![/h1] We’re excited to open the Public Test for Update 5! Our primary goal is to provide players with firsthand experience of the update, and gather feedback on the changes to the Map, Game Modes, Content and the new UI. Additionally, by participating, you’ll help us identify and report any bugs, ensuring a smooth launch for Update 5! [h2]Public Test for Update 5[/h2] [list][*] Added a new Boss for Act 1 [*] Added ~9 new Spells. [*] Overhauled progression: new Unlocks & Achievements. [*] Reworked difficulty system, 9 stages of “Descent”. [*] Added “Game Modes” and Modifiers. [*] Reworked the “Codex” book UI to focus on progression and knowledge. [*] Added “Player Profiles”. [*] Starting Artifact is now selected before the run. [*] New map generation algorithm, improved for speed and better results. [*] Added “Show Keyword Names” option to shorten effect descriptions.[/list] We have already showcased some of these changes in [url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1990110/view/4614588811321494721?l=english]Dev Blog #8[/url], but a ton of things have also been added since, such as the new Mutator Draft for the Descent Stages that you will be drafting at the start of each act! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42483590/cf1cf39e3368f002f0cd4259df66e0f202c42d7e.gif[/img] [i]Descent Mutator Draft: Depending on the Mutator's value, your choice may also come with an added positive or negative effect, providing more variety and strategy to each decision.[/i] The new map generation system is designed to be faster and more efficient, aiming to create more engaging decision points while cutting down on redundant routes and reducing the likelihood of obvious bad choices. We're still tinkering, tweaking and improving it, so please share your opinions on how it works now as we are very eager to hear your feedback on the changes. There are also a ton of smaller changes, which we will go into further detail about when Update 5 is ready to go live for everyone, but here's a few examples of new spells and reworked Killshot for now: [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42483590/1c642fec30d892fd74184bdf2a4a1f0f3f1476f1.png[/img] [i]New spells with the "Show Keywords Names" option disabled for shorter descriptions.[/i] [h2]Feedback and expectations:[/h2] We are organizing the Public Test mostly through the [url=https://discord.com/invite/5AnXVPCqyx]SpellRogue Discord[/url] server where we will be posting more info about any ongoing changes. It is also the place where you can give us feedback or just discuss your favorite Custom Mode setup with fellow players. So please join and be an active part of SpellRogue’s future development! [b]Please note:[/b] [i]Completing the new Steam Achievements won't be registered in Steam during this Public-Test, but we now have ingame popups for unlocks & achievements plus the Codex tracks what you have completed[/i]. [h2]How to Access the Public Test on Steam:[/h2] [u][b]Backup your save files![/b][/u] There’s always a small chance of something going wrong while testing! Make a copy of the “SpellRogue” save folder at: [b]%userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\Guidelight Games[/b] [b]Steps to Opt-in for the Public-Test[/b] [olist] [*] Right click on SpellRogue in your Steam library, and click Properties. [*] Select the Betas tab and enter the password “imadebackups” [*] Select the ”public-test - for testing upcoming changes (unstable)” from the dropdown. [*] Let Steam update SpellRogue and then Run the game. [/olist] To opt-out of the public test later, simply choose “None” in the dropdown instead. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42483590/2d5d32bf0a5dc4d0328e643a7c4fd373f80c1d74.png[/img] [b]Please note:[/b] Opting-in/out of the Public-Test will invalidate any currently active run. On the first time running the Public-Test, the game will transfer your progress to unlock most of the things you should already have unlocked apart from new/changed things. [h2]Starting a new Player Profile[/h2] Given the significant changes we're making to progression and unlocks, we highly recommend starting a new Player Profile. You can do this by opening the menu located in the bottom-left corner of the Wizard Select screen, as shown below. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42483590/c2f51433bc2b079255b532ce1dd10eb0c11a2b02.gif[/img] Starting fresh will let you experience the improved early game and help us spot any issues. We strongly recommend it for the best experience and to assist us in refining the game. Thanks for sticking with us this far! We truly appreciate your time and we read all feedback even though we may not always respond to everything. This time around, we're especially interested in hearing how the adjusted map feels, which Game Modes you find the most fun, and your thoughts on the new unlocks and achievements along with any UI annoyances you run into. Thanks for helping us make SpellRogue even better! May your dice roll true 🧙 Tim, Thorbjørn & Paw