[b][h1]Greetings Swordsmen![/h1][/b] In preparation for the third playtest going [i][b]live[/b][/i] on the [b]30th of September[/b], [b]Patch 0.6.0[/b] has been deployed to the playtest build, here are all the changes alongside the trailer: [previewyoutube=jxczq3F7kig;full][/previewyoutube] [h2]Gameplay Features & Mechanics[/h2] [h3]Loot & NPC Updates:[/h3] [list] [*] Added loot tables for All NPCs and Chests in the Tower. [*] NPCs have a chance to drop loot crystals. [*] Looting players' unbanked items when harvesting their soul crystals after killing them in the tower. [*] Chest loot quality scales up over time if not looted. [*] Time loss on death in the tower now scales based on progress depth. [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44601843/31f2f586f6e2e2ccc01dfd79a26412ad231c5d49.png[/img] [h3]New Tower Area:[/h3] [list] [*] A major new section was added to the tower, larger than existing areas, and interconnected with other parts. [*] Several new NPC types were introduced, including a new Mini-Boss. [*] New spike traps added. [*] All new NPCs give reasonable tower time when killed. [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44601843/720e2b448bdd38d763c7d6e955e1b3141244dc64.jpg[/img] [h3]Crafting System:[/h3] [list] [*] Added crafting stations in the tower for infusing crystals with essence. [*] Added a shard merging station to turn lesser shards into minor shards. [*] Void storage crafting station introduced, allowing access to banked items. [*] Added a new crafting area in the T2 dungeon for working with 2nd-tier materials. [*] User Interface & Visuals [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44601843/55e32912f0d739f96859e24f076ea197b7e5a185.gif[/img] [h3]UI Updates:[/h3] [list] [*] Updated tower climb server select screen with a brief explanation of tower mechanics (UI aesthetics to be improved). [*] Fixed UI bug with dodge cooldown not displaying properly. [*] Improved error handling for interactions with Steam inventory (more useful offline information). [*] Fixed a display issue in the summary popup when runs end with zero essence. [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44601843/c9206350214ba15b1561703ce77211ab5ee4b3ff.png[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44601843/def051aa822fef2dedbd21b4241ce504dec5846f.png[/img] [h3]Visual Effects:[/h3] [list] [*] Added VFX/SFX for activating secrets. [*] Upgraded all animations to use the new 5.4 Engine retargeting and foot placement system, and redid the idle animations for improved realism. [*] Upgraded textures with nanite tessellation. [*] Added new VFX for chests and coffins, optimized for better performance. [*] Redesigned chest smoke and coffin VFX. [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44601843/399e41424c3dd56f63c20bcd9170812f63da2bdc.png[/img] [h2]Bug Fixes[/h2] [h3]General Bug Fixes:[/h3] [list] [*] Fixed camera clipping during emotes. [*] Fixed navmesh bug causing NPCs to get stuck on the staircase outside the puppeteer room. [*] Fixed bugs with barrier and bind statues not respawning or dimming properly. [*] Fixed various map issues, such as floating objects and misaligned textures. [*] Addressed a rare crash that could occur when switching levels. [/list] [h3]Server & Networking Fixes:[/h3] [list] [*] Fixed server transfer issues with players following friends through red portals but not spawning within the same spawn point. [*] Improved server performance, including optimizations for kata orbs, lights, and candles. [*] Fixed a server maintenance notification bug. [*] Added error handling for potential network errors during dungeon traversal. [/list] [h3]Steam API Fixes:[/h3] [list] [*] Addressed retry handling for Steam API failures in specific cases. [*] Resolved issue where Steam inventory service wouldn’t load item quantities correctly for players with over 65,000 items. [/list] [h2]Optimizations[/h2] [h3]Performance Enhancements:[/h3] [list] [*] Fixed performance issues with particle system culling, significantly boosting performance. [*] Optimized dedicated server performance for kata balls and particle systems. [*] Improved FPS in busy dungeon areas by optimizing lights and candle effects (switched to Niagara effects). [*] Added tesselation toggle, with tesselation now defaulted to on for new users. [/list] [h3]Hotfixes:[/h3] [list] [*] Removed heterogeneous smoke volumes on coffins and chests that caused FPS drops, but the rework of chest smoke VFX is pending. [*] Disabled corpse smoke VFX for improved performance and aesthetics. [*] Adjusted AI to better punish players who stun themselves with reckless kiai. [/list] [h1]Planned Improvements & Polish[/h1] [h3]Decoration & Polish:[/h3] [list] [*] Ongoing work on adding small details, trim, and baseboards to various areas of the tower and dungeons. [*] Still decorating new tower areas—missing wall decorations and baseboards. [*] Future work includes polishing crafting stations and finalizing features for upcoming playtests. [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44601843/390339f8c9dccf94c241bc8c44c9d75a4876d3da.jpg[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44601843/54490d0e5dc243e94ea7d834f7fc3115563869c4.jpg[/img] [h3]Miscellaneous:[/h3] [list] [*] Made the jump in the new starting area easier to take. [*] Fixed a mispositioned collider in the tutorial area. [/list] And that concludes our sneak peek of Patch 0.6.0, don't forget[b] you can still sign up[/b] for the playtest via the Store page. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2321890/Swordai/