[h1][u][b]Team Tidings[/b][/u][/h1] Hey Folks, We’re beyond excited to welcome you to another edition of the Final Stand: Ragnarok newsletter! In this edition, we’ll be covering our biggest content update ever - including a brand new scenario, new enemies, new bosses, and more! Delve into the Dungeon Maze, where a gauntlet of powerful undead prevent your means of escape. If you manage to fight through them (and avoid the myriad traps set for you along the way), you’ll come face to face with the Warden, one of Hel’s strongest Generals. In addition to the new Dungeon Maze scenario and all it has to offer, we have a series of balance changes, performance improvements, and bug fixes to talk about! So without further ado, let’s get into it. [h1][u][b]State of the Build: Update 1.1 - The Dungeon Maze Beta![/b][/u][/h1] [h2][b]Dungeon Maze[/b][/h2] After months of hard work and testing by our team, we’re excited to announce the Beta edition of our third scenario, Dungeon Maze! You and your fellow Champions will battle your way through a prison purpose built to confuse, confound, and confine you. Navigate your way through the stone corridors of Hel’s stronghold, evading traps and unlocking new pathways by completing unique encounters. Your ultimate goal is to reach the Warden, one of Hel’s fiercest generals and the last line of defense for the entire prison. Reaching him will be no small feat, and defeating him and his lieutenants will take everything you have. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41353282/207853d5aa2bf55cc4bf026c47df1aba2228b34d.jpg[/img] [i]Above: Concept art of the Dungeon Maze’s spidery depths, beckoning you further in.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41353282/1b2e596d6de067bdca0b145e578a9a7a361b5ba4.jpg[/img] [i]Above: One of our new objectives, featuring hundreds of mindless dead and the infamous ‘Big Boys’.[/i] [h2][b]The Jailers and the Warden[/b][/h2] The Champions within the Dungeon Maze’s confines face steep opposition in their escape attempt. Two of the Warden’s subordinates, known collectively as the Jailers, await those who manage to progress far enough to threaten the prison’s security. They are the Soul Reaper and the Dead Caller, fierce foes that emphasize new mechanics and attack patterns. Reaching these bosses will require accomplishing different randomized objectives - be careful not to get lost along the way, as the longer it takes you to reach one of the Jailers, the more enemy reinforcements will arrive to try and stop you! [h3][b]The Soul Reaper[/b][/h3] The first of two Jailers that you will face during your escape attempt, the Soul Reaper is a ruthless enforcer of order that views you as nothing more than a pest to be squashed. Utilizing powerful magic and a pair of enchanted weapons, the Soul Reaper will require keen awareness of your positioning in order to succeed. Standing in the path of his sweeping strikes will not only deal a ton of damage, but will also serve to heal him. If you’re careless with where you stand, you’ll end up losing a battle of attrition as the Soul Reaper overwhelms you with his minions at full health! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41353282/9666eb93e4fe295c52149b921b0fd22ede263f1b.jpg[/img] [i]Above: The Soul Reaper about to perform his namesake on a helpless Champion.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41353282/a1f558dc81b3dcf43dccc9da6d9b6ba937f65e71.png[/img] [i]Above: Concept art of the Soul Reaper, whose ravenous hunger knows no limits.[/i] [h3][b]The Dead Caller[/b][/h3] The second Jailer within the Dungeon Maze is the Dead Caller, a demented mistress of torment that calls upon the spirits of the damned to power various runestones. Tread carefully and keep an eye on your surroundings, as these runestones are the key to victory…or defeat. Among the Dead Caller’s repertoire are a runestone that summons an impenetrable shield and a runestone that summons additional and deadlier variants of enemies. The most dangerous, however, is the Rune of Sacrifice. These runestones cause damage dealt by Champions to be reflected to themselves and nearby allies, effectively turning your attacks against you. Simply burning the boss down isn’t an option here - if you want to win, you’ll need to be careful. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41353282/6a4c3cee1cf9a0543fe44dbc0e784d9d2f7071ed.jpg[/img] [i]Above: Concept art of the Dead Caller, a terrible mistress of the damned whose wrath you must beware.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41353282/035bdb299b514f0819d912651ce6c817aff922e2.jpg[/img] [i]Above: The Dead Caller dispatching some overeager Champions, calling upon her army of necromancers to join her. [/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41353282/912d635e17d98e3d89d4878595788683cbd8a832.jpg[/img] [i]Above: The Runestone of Suffering is one of many runestones the Dead Caller will utilize when fighting. Destroy it quickly, lest it return the favor.[/i] [h3][b]The Warden[/b][/h3] Handpicked by Hel herself to protect the Dungeon Maze and manage its forces, the Warden is not only a vicious fighter but a strategic mind. Overcoming him will be your final challenge, and what a challenge it is! Three arcane towers protect the Warden, shielding him from harm while he throws massive javelins at any nearby Champion. Each of these towers is protected in turn not just by hundreds of undead, but by Officers, powerful minibosses that strengthen the defending forces in unique ways. Defeating the Warden will require first defeating his Officers and disabling his shield. The first of these three minibosses is the Summoning Officer, who will continually spawn portals nearby in order to overwhelm you with numbers. The second is the Support Officer, who continually buffs nearby undead so long as they remain in the field. The third is the Artillery Officer, who directs scores of skeleton archers and launches long range projectiles at the Champions. After each of these Champions is defeated, the towers under their control must be captured, held, and then destroyed in order to weaken the Warden’s shield. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41353282/73083d678f04cdc47bde999b8d0122a2c6f0fad4.jpg[/img] [i]Above: One of the Warden’s protective towers mid-destruction, after being captured and overloaded by the Champions.[/i] Once the Warden’s shield is gone, the final fight begins. You will be staving off hundreds of elite enemies as he calls for reinforcements, and every second counts to finish the fight. The Warden himself utilizes a mix of area of effect attacks, high single target damage, and heavy knockbacks to disrupt players. Defeat him to finally escape the Dungeon Maze, depriving Hel of one of her best generals and leaving her stronghold in ruin! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41353282/2b3664d698385a17b6807b827e468ae79e440853.jpg[/img] [i]Above: The Warden doing what he does best - commanding soldiers and mocking his opponents. [/i] [h2][b]New Enemies[/b][/h2] Dungeon Maze is host to all sorts of deadly denizens, some of which you’ve never seen before. Bolstering the endless ranks of the damned, these undead will make your escape that much more difficult. Not only will you find them wandering the halls of the Dungeon Maze, but you’ll also spot some of them in our two other existing scenarios - Arena and Towers of Vigrith. The Forsaken General stands out amongst its peers with prodigious size, leading the ranks of the Dishonored Dead from the front. This sturdy, high damage enemy is absolutely relentless - and completely immune to knockback and crowd control. You’ll need to deal raw damage to bring one of these elite soldiers down. Lesser versions of this new enemy are referred to as ‘Berserkers’ and can be found in certain encounter rooms. The Plague Bearers are larger, stronger variants of their mindless undead cousins. Occasionally found as the objective of encounter rooms within the Dungeon Maze, these Big Boys(yes, that’s their current title in-game) can take a ridiculous amount of punishment before they collapse. Defeating them is as much an exercise in patience as it is in skill. While not yet stalking the halls of the Dungeon Maze, the Skeleton Commanders are an entirely new enemy that deals death from afar. Summoning ranks of lesser skeleton archers to follow them into battle, these master marksmen launch volleys of arrows with staggering efficiency. While closing the gap will make them less effective killers, it’s by no means a sure thing - once you’ve gotten close enough, the Skeleton Commander will set a series of traps to make you pay the price for approaching. Beware and utilize your ranged attacks to bring them down. [h2][b]New Objectives[/b][/h2] In addition to the new enemies and bosses you’ll face in Dungeon Maze’s Beta, there are several new objectives that have never been featured in FS:R before. You’ll see these objectives in randomized encounters that you have to complete in order to progress to the next boss in Dungeon Maze. One example is the ‘Capture’ objective, which requires the player and their fellow Champions to remain within the radius of a crystal in order to control it and open the way forward. You have a limited time to capture the crystal, and leaving the radius of it will stop any progress you were gaining - so stand your ground and fight off the horde! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41353282/30f597fd344bbe7f64443bb07bc090948f3dbbfe.jpg[/img] [i]Above: This objective will require you to carve your way through several elite enemies, all while dodging volleys of archer fire and pit of poison gas.[/i] Another new objective is focused on defeating a mass of spiders - and I mean a lot of them. Seriously, I cannot overstate how many spiders there are in this room. Arachnophobes beware. You have to destroy the egg sacs spawning them within the room and kill the Broodmothers protecting them, all while hundreds of smaller eight legged attackers quite literally block your path forward. The above examples are only two of many new variations you can find in the new scenario, and some of the mechanics used in these encounters will be able to be used for future scenarios or existing ones in-game. This greatly increases our ability to add more variety to the gameplay loop for a given match of FS:R. [h2][b]Traps, Treasures, and More[/b][/h2] What dungeon would be complete without some traps to go with it? Or treasure, for that matter! Fortunately, the Dungeon Maze Beta is awash with both. You’ll have to avoid two kinds of pressure plates that see spikes jutting outwards and powerful magic stripping away your Champion’s shield. Flames roar from the mouths of stone dragons along the walls of long corridors, and toxic poison spreads from a hard-to-reach vent, daring you to find and shut it off at the source. It is fortunate that great risk comes with great rewards, for behind locked gates, hidden alcoves, and numerous dead ends are treasure chests with Champion Runes and consumable items galore. Keep an eye out for doors off the beaten path, and then break them down to earn whatever Hel’s minions tried so hard to hide from you. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41353282/50c65d5829e88f5776838bfc3f24c124fe2e9a24.jpg[/img] [i]Above: Some of the pressure plate traps you can expect in the Dungeon Maze. Believe me, they blend in terribly well in a fight.[/i] [h1][u][b]Release Notes: Update 1.1[/b][/u][/h1] [h2][b]Major Features[/b][/h2] [b]The Dungeon Maze is here![/b] [list] [*] A brand new scenario featuring three new bosses, several new enemies, several new objective types, and a completely different environment from anything else you’ve seen in FS:R. The Beta for this new scenario is live with FSR 1.1! [/list] [h3][b]Art[/b][/h3] [b]Dungeon Maze Assets[/b] [list] [*] The Art team has completed a major effort in populating the Dungeon Maze with new walls, ceilings, and assorted smaller props. This includes a major lighting and set dressing pass for beautification - though lighting may be tweaked slightly in the future. [*] In addition to the Dungeon Maze itself, a background scene was constructed for Dungeon Maze to clearly illustrate the differences from our other zones. [*] New model for some spider variants. [/list] [h3][b]FX[/b][/h3] [b]New Ability FX[/b] [list] [*] With the addition of many new NPC types (including Elites and Bosses), we’ve also added new VFX to make their abilities stand out. From the Soul Reaper to the Skeleton Commander, you’ll see a lot of new VFX popping! [/list] [h3][b]Audio[/b][/h3] [b]New Dialogue[/b] [list] [*] Dungeon Maze comes with a whole set of dialogue, including new villains like the Warden and Soul Reaper. We’ve also added some new lines to the Towers of Vigrith scenario. [/list] [b]Additional SFX[/b] [list] [*] Our Audio team has been creating a whole slew of SFX for new abilities, new events, and updating outdated SFX. Listen to the audioscape and let us know how you like it! [/list] [b]Menu SFX[/b] We’ve also completed a pass on audio in the assorted menus of the game, especially the Equipment and Rune Mod selection menus. Background music and SFX have been altered to more easily show what menu you’re in. [h3][b]Gameplay[/b][/h3] [b]New NPCs[/b] [list] [*] Dungeon Maze is host to three brand new bosses - the Soul Reaper, the Dead Caller, and the Warden, each with their own mechanics, attack patterns, and models. [*] In addition, we’ve also added a variety of Elites that will show up in other scenarios, including Forsaken Generals, Skeleton Commanders, and Giant Spiders. [/list] [b]New Scenario[/b] [list] [*] The Dungeon Maze scenario is a brand new addition to the current scenario lineup - escape from Hel’s labyrinthine fortress while slaying swarms of undead! Dungeon Maze comes with a variety of new objectives, enemies, and doors to smash down! While we still consider Dungeon Maze to be in a Beta state, there’s a lot for you to discover in-game. [/list] [b]Match Size Balancing[/b] [list] [*] We’ve tweaked the math behind matches to balance them a bit better for different numbers of players. This includes damage and defense buffs for Champions, as well as extra lives in the Towers of Vigrith scenario at lower player counts. [/list] [u][b][h2]Bug Fixes[/h2][/b][/u] [list] [*] Completed a number of assorted SFX fixes, including playing the wrong SFX and playing SFX at the wrong volume. [*] Fixed some unintended behavior on boss NPCs, causing them to play animations incorrectly. [*] Fixed Intel ARC GPUs not being able to run the game. [*] Fixed startup issues for certain laptops, due to a false reporting of their specs. [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41353282/c9a806ff193e27504b186e9529c453d9adeb7301.png[/img] [h1][u][b]What's Next?[/b][/u][/h1] With Dungeon Maze soon to be in the hands of our players, we’re excited to continue adding content to it, our other existing scenarios, and the game as a whole. Coming soon, in addition to a focus on some oft requested quality of life fixes (improved visibility for downed allies, anyone?), you can expect to see FS:R’s first Battle Pass! For the next big content update, we’re currently hard at work on a sixth Champion and an entirely new game mode. Keep an eye out for more information soon. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41353282/cf91a5553b3ac342100075f06d37cb6c1b54a601.png[/img] [i]Above: Who could this Champion be? A new fighter?[/i] [h1][u][b]Final Note[/b][/u][/h1] While we currently consider Dungeon Maze to be in a Beta state, we’re proud of the exceptional work our team has done to get it where it is today. The amount of effort and love put into it has been a pleasure to witness, and I hope that sharing some of what it has to offer in this newsletter provides some excitement for what’s to come with FS:R. Be sure to tune in to our next edition to keep getting the latest and greatest from us at Unchained Entertainment! If you or a friend has been waiting to check out Final Stand: Ragnarok, we just went live with a sale on Steam! Get FS:R for 25% off until June 27th! You can [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1605600/Final_Stand_Ragnark/]purchase the game right here on Steam[/url]. If you’re looking for other Champions to play with, you can check out the FSR Discord server here: https://discord.gg/finalstandragnarok We’ll see you on the battlefield, Champions!