It's been a while since we last announced the development plan for version 0.7. The final decision on the content to be included in the major update far exceeded our initial expectations. It's our traditional holiday these days, and we would like to share the current progress of the update's development with everyone. [b][Main Character's Level and Stat Growth, Monster Echo System, Monster Encounter Mechanism][/b] In our previous announcement, we mentioned the growth of the main character and the newly added 'Monster Echo' system. After numerous experiments, we have iterated on the Echo System, and its framework is now trending towards stability. Each type of monster will have an Echo Skill, which will enhance the existing skills of Shiro. Additionally, defeating monsters will drop materials that can be used to strengthen the attributes and levels of Echo Skills. Designing Echo Skills for each type of monster is a monumental task. In the 0.7 version, we plan to initially complete the Echo Skills for monsters found in three large maps: Forest of Origin, Fairy Forest, and Prayer Beltower. Echo Skills for monsters in other maps will be gradually added in future updates. The new Monster Encounter Mechanism is a battle system that players can trigger in the wilderness. It requires defeating a significant number of enemies in a confined area. This tests the player's combat abilities while helping them understand the game's mechanics. Completing these encounters often results in substantial rewards. [b][Expansion of Existing Maps, New Challenge Levels][/b] We have expanded and adjusted the stages of Forest of Origin and Fairywood Forest, adding more than ten small stages. These additions also include a speed challenge level and a durability challenge level, both offering special rewards upon completion. These newly expanded stages require a long development and iteration cycle, but considering the early-game experience, adding this content is necessary. Draft of new stages in Fairy Forest: [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38350875/c14775d52bee3a03f84bfe705b3c8136167d70dc.png[/img] [b][New Recovery Ability, New Movement Ability, Elemental Skill Refactoring][/b] To enhance player resilience and playability in combat, we have decided to introduce a new recovery ability and a movement skill. Additionally, in the current version, the elemental skill 'Piercing Light' received feedback from many players regarding its strength and interactive experience. Therefore, we have decided to refactor elemental skills, adopting a concept similar to the 'ultimate ability.' When using an elemental skill, Shiro will briefly become invulnerable, and the skill will provide assistance in terms of damage output or mechanics. As elemental skills have become a crucial component of battles, players will have the opportunity to unlock a new elemental skill in the early stage of the game. [b][Other Improvements][/b] In addition, we have made some optimizations to the game's existing systems and control schemes: [list] [*]Integrated the current teleportation mechanism to make teleportation more convenient. [*]Optimized the difficulty and health of wilderness monsters to avoid the feeling of monsters being both sluggish and resilient. [*]Increased the difficulty of wilderness monsters, and defeating them will result in the drop of recovery [*]items, making combat tension more flexible. We have also adjusted the recovery mechanism of 'Light Surge' by reducing natural light recovery and increasing the attack recovery. [*]Split the buttons for normal attacks ('Light Surge') and 'Light Shock,' allowing automatic continuous firing when holding the 'Light Surge' button. 'Light Shock' does not need to be charged anymore. [*]Added customization options for game controllers. [*]And more... [/list] We appreciate everyone's patience while waiting for this update. Version 0.7 includes various aspects that required careful consideration. Due to my limited game development experience and our team's constrained capacity, the development timeline has far exceeded our initial expectations. There is still a considerable amount of new content in production and iteration, and it will take some time before the official release. During this period, some friends even asked if we had 'abandoned this game,' which both amused and embarrassed us. We will do our best to iterate on the game experience and strive to deliver version 0.7 to everyone as soon as possible. Thank you all for your support and encouragement!