[b]Greetings, Mercenaries![/b] The release of the next intermediate content update is upon us! This update brings new major features and QoL improvements, as well as several new mercenary contracts to provide players with a playground to test the new additions in! [h2]New Major Features Highlights[/h2] [list] [*]New mercenary contracts [*]Item comparison functionality [*]The Alchemy Laboratory unlock in the Hideout is now available (requires completing Carrines Bay main quest) [*]Animal familiars are now available to help you in battle [*]Morten can now learn magic [*]Buddy the Dog is now not just a good boy, but a very useful one as well! [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/34782113/d2f11992382a1f96893f6a41c664e07e18429d0d.gif[/img] [h2]Update v.0.8.1.0 - full changelog[/h2] [h3]New Gameplay Features & Content[/h3] [list] [*][b]5 New mercenary contracts:[/b] 4 of which are available for the players who have finished the currently available main story content, and one more for those who have finished the WANTED: DEATHMATCH contract. [*][b]The Alchemist laboratory:[/b] Players can now establish the Alchemy Lab in the Hideout after completing the currently available main story quests. The Alchemy Lab provides you with a way to craft and upgrade accessories. [*][b]Blacksmith upgrades:[/b] Certain items collected in Carrines Bay and obtained as rewards for contracts can now be used to craft and upgrade unique equipment via the Hideout blacksmith. Some new upgrade materials have also been added to the world. [*][b]Animal familiars:[/b] they can assist the main party in battles if certain items are equipped. Currently, two familiars are available. [*][b]Ability groups unlock for Morten: [/b]Morten can now learn to use Destruction, Conjuration, Support magic and Bardic Lore abilities after completing certain optional story events related to the party members at Birgit's Inn. Some unlock events require meeting specific conditions to access. [*][b]New character dialogues:[/b] All party members will now have unique dialogues that reflect on the main story events and/or their personal quests. Try talking to them while resting at the Inn! [*][b]New item abilities:[/b] Some equippable items (weapons, armor and accessories) now have new unique effects that are added to the list of character abilities on equip. Item abilities cannot be turned off without unequipping the item. [i]Note: you will need to re-equip an item if it's already equipped on a character in order for its ability to activate.[/i] [*][b]New items & rewards:[/b] Some of the quests and locations that previously offered little or no rewards had new juicy loot added to them. [*][b]Updated Buddy the Dog! [/b]He will now give out special rewards if fed with his favorite treats. But be aware, he can be a picky eater. [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/34782113/62326f2f212f3a766f115543979987b52d7f923b.gif[/img] [h3]QoL Improvements[/h3] [list] [*][b]Item Comparison Functionality: [/b]Equippable items in vendor interfaces and loot containers can now be compared to the currently equipped items for all characters and all equipment slots. [*][b]Improved inventory management flow: [/b]Equip functionality in Inventory screen has been adjusted to open the Equip window for the selected item for the currently active character. [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/34782113/978f03110a8bc28f8d1a8b91381e9d4131008f7f.gif[/img] [h3]Balance[/h3] [list] [*][b]Adjusted contract rewards:[/b] mercenary contracts now give more coins on completion. [*][b]Adjusted item prices:[/b] vendor prices for most items have been adjusted to better reflect the quality of the goods. [*][b]Adjusted item stat tuning:[/b] some weapons, shields and armor have undergone a balance pass. In particular, Soulseizer and Collector's Bow (epic weapons available as rewards in Carrines Bay update) have received a stat overhaul, coupled with new unique effects - so don't miss out on them! Additionally, the tuning on some of the lower quality weapons has been improved to make them more appealing to the player. [/list] [h3]Bug Fixes[/h3] [list] [*]Fixed a rare bug in which gamepad button inputs allowed to close the party editor screen and progress without critical characters present in the active party. [*]Fixed the bug in which the player could lock themselves in the Warehouse in the Trade Ward. [*]Fixed the bug in which Oscar would not give any reward for helping to find his glasses. [*]Fixed the bug in which "Begging the Question" quest would not finish if the goal was located without asking the beggars for help. [*]Fixed the bug in which the player would incorrectly be transported to Farrol's House after leaving the Abandoned Iron Mine during the second and subsequent visits. [*]Fixed the bug in which the player could get softlocked in the dialogue with Oistin after refusing to help him once. [*]Fixed a bug in which the "Food Supplies" quest could be sequence-broken and become impossible to complete. [*]Fixed certain enemies sometimes spawning in elevated positions or walking in the air during combat. [/list] As always, we'd like to thank all the players who have helped us improve the game by posting their reviews and feedback and submitting bug reports! We hope you enjoy your time with the new content. [url=https://discord.gg/q8VcWeB]Join the community on Discord[/url] to discuss the update: [url=https://discord.gg/q8VcWeB][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/34782113/c1a0cf4ebabede55cd0070577cb3c125aeb67f81.png[/img][/url]