Hello mercenaries! Ahead of next week's [b]1.0 launch on November 2[/b], we wanted to give new and returning players a look at everything that has been added to The Iron Oath during our Early Access period. We've made a lot of changes during Early Access - some that were planned in advance, and some that came about as a result of player feedback. We're thankful to each one of you that has joined us on the journey, and shared their experiences to help us improve the game! Here's a look back at the last year and a half: [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/30563465/2996d1ef9418df080fa7e6adba9265dc5948439d.png[/img] And the more substantial changes from each update: [h3]Fire and Ice Update ([url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/699330/view/3385037625318977255]Full patch notes here[/url])[/h3] [list] [*] [b]Icebinder Class:[/b] The Icebinder class specializes in crowd control, with a wide range of abilities that allow him to summon ice pillars, freeze enemies, and support his allies through various means. [*] [b]Gear Enchantments:[/b] Over 80 enchantments that can be looted in dungeons and applied to equipment, granting stats and unique effects. [*] [b]Scourge Crisis[/b]: A special crisis event that occurs in the wake of the dragon's attack, including new quests, events and consequences for the player as they try to save a city from destruction. [/list] [h3]Friends and Foes Update ([url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/699330/view/3692429228036759026]Full patch notes here[/url])[/h3] [list] [*] [b]Leveling and attributes overhaul:[/b] A complete rework of character attributes and a new way to level up, which lets players more freely customize their characters any way they want [*] [b]Full ability upgrade trees: [/b]Introduced over 250 new upgrades to round out the rest of the ability upgrade trees for each class [*] [b]Combat rebalance:[/b] We increased party size to 5(from 4) and rebalanced abilities, enemies, status effects, and gear [*] [b]New enemies:[/b] Introduced over 30 new enemy variants into the game [*] [b]Enemy traits: [/b]Added over 50 traits that are applied to enemy Elites and Bosses, adding to combat variety [*] [b]UI Overhaul:[/b] We redesigned nearly every UI screen in the game to be more aesthetically pleasing and user friendly [*] [b]Codex:[/b] We added a Codex screen which lists details on all the enemies you've encountered. You can view an enemy's codex page during combat by right clicking them or their portrait [/list] [h3]Tales by the Fire Update ([url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/699330/view/3667672110011651524]Full patch notes here[/url])[/h3] [list] [*] [b]Balladeer Class[/b]: The Balladeer fills the role of a pure support class. With many tunes strummed from their trusty lute, they have the ability to heal, cleanse, buff their allies, and debuff enemies. [*] [b]Dungeon Exploration Overhaul[/b]: A rework to how dungeon exploration is handled, giving more opportunities for risk vs reward. Dungeon Modifiers and Camping Incense were also rebalanced. [*] [b]New Dungeon Events and Event Types[/b]: We added many new dungeon events to interact with, resulting in a variety of outcomes that are both beneficial and harmful [/list] [h3]Expeditions Update [url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/699330/view/3728474509934001675](Full patch notes here)[/url][/h3] [list] [*] [b]Named gear:[/b] Tougher bosses have a higher chance to drop Named gear. Named gear has increased stats and comes pre-loaded with randomized enchantments [*] [b]New quests and overworld events[/b]: Added 6 brand new quests and a handful of new overworld events [/list] With 3 major updates, 2 large updates, and countless patches, the two of us are happy with what we've achieved so far. But development of course won't stop with 1.0 - we have many more ideas, with more stories to tell for the next year and hopefully beyond! [h2]Information about the 1.0 build[/h2] A reminder that the price of the game is increasing to $25 on launch day. So now is the best time to grab it! If you're a returning player, your old saves [b]will[/b] be compatible with the 1.0 build. However, with all the changes to the game, [b]we highly recommend starting fresh[/b] for the best overall experience (especially if your save is from an early EA build). Due to the number of variables at play, we can't guarantee there won't be some oddities or small problems that occur with older saves. When Early Access began, we had around 15 hours of unique content, with the first part of the main campaign being completable in around 10-12. For 1.0, we expect the average run of the main campaign will take most players 25-30 hours, with the whole game having around 40 hours of unique content (plus more new quests later in November!). Stay tuned next week for the full 1.0 change log which we will be sharing on Wednesday before our Thursday launch! Until then, we hope you have a great weekend! -Curious Panda Games