Howdy Folks! Today we’re proud to announce the release of Drake Hollow version 1.2, an update we’re calling Bramble Beatdown! This represents part 2 of our [url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/739650/view/2948128849678920250]roadmap[/url]: Combat improvements. We’ve been listening to your feedback, and one thing we heard loud and clear is that combat wasn’t interesting enough. The bulk of what we’ve done has been to address that, and build the combat system into a more robust experience. We hope you like it! Take a look at many of the new features here: [previewyoutube=dbQ4PwIR_lY;full][/previewyoutube] New Combat Features [b]Parry:[/b] A well-timed block will now parry an incoming attack, and stagger the attacker or reflect back projectiles. [b]Charged Attack:[/b] Holding attack will now charge up a powerful area of effect attack that does heavy damage and knocks back opponents. [b]Lock-On: [/b]By popular demand, you can now lock on to an opponent so you don’t need to steer while fighting. [b]Unblockable Attacks: [/b]Specific attacks are now unblockable, so be careful! [b]Raid Targeting:[/b] Enemies in raids used to use a very simple targeting strategy: attack the nearest improvement. We’ve changed that system so they now target improvements based on a mix of pathability and priority. What that means: you can be much more tactical about how you build your defenses. Create kill boxes, or force enemies through mazes where you can easily take them down. Exploding Grunts: A new breed of Grunt has emerged, and they’re volatile! Look out during raids as these menaces will explode when damaged. [b]New Vines:[/b] [b]Exploding Vines:[/b] Like the volatile Grunts, these vines explode when damaged. [b]Angry Vines:[/b] These vines fight back, clubbing anything that gets too close, friend or foe. [b]Soothing Vines:[/b] When these appear on an island, any enemy that spawns will regenerate, and will repopulate when killed until the Soothing Vine is found and eliminated. [b] Aether Vines:[/b] Similar to Soothing Vines, they buff enemies, but with an aether shield that will slow you down if they get too close. Here’s the complete list of of changes: [list] [*] Pulled the camera out further from character and set to default [*] Added charge up melee attacks [*] Updated GDK save system and platform feature changes [*] Wolf tuning - removed wolf dodge Added parrying [*] Added enemy unblockable hits Added exploding grunts [*] Added taunts for wolves, grunts, and stalkers [*] Fixed lore socket issue in winter biome [*] Fixed issue with feral nest closing up too soon in specific circumstances [*] Added 4 vine types: the whomping vine, the soothing vine, the cursed vine, and the exploding vine [*] Fixed a Loc issue in the journal in Russian [*] Updated the priority for attack magnetism [*] Fixed convert to multiplayer check failure [*] Updated the shield block UI (animation touch-up, and added a broken icon) [*] Slowed down player 2-handed combo speed, but increased the base damage by 2 [*] iFrames added [*] Nerfed the vampiric buff at higher levels [*] Terminer spawn projectile can now spawn exploding vines [*] Reduced frequency of terminer default projectile spawning [*] Added a UI alert when an improvement is damaged outside of a raid with no player in camp [*] Fixed issue where Terminer could appear shielded when not summoning [*] Candy canes no longer drop from chests [*] Added lock-on capability [*] Added tutorial for new combat mechanics [*] Returned hot torches to the magpie shop in winter [*] Turned off default santa hat as unlocked initially [*] Updated enemy raid target prioritization [*] Changed Terminer behavior around targeting and moving to improvements [*] Fixed issue with Xbox players' talking gems not showing up when utilizing crossplay [*] Added garage drippings for Magpie Shop [*] Profile saves can now be marked for later processing so that multiple save attempts aren't made within the same 1 second window (led to achievement sync issues) [*] Added and surfaced error code to modal dialog [*] Disabled cold open [*] Switched campaign and sandbox order in the main menu and added descriptive text for both [*] Added logic to add all tutorials to inbox on sandbox start [*] Removed warning for entering sandbox without save data [*] Added a block timer to prevent impulse spamming of block/attack [*] Fixed issue with processing invites on Windows 10 [*] Fixed issue where player was sent back to loader instead of main menu upon multiplayer lobby exit [*] Added Curve Digital logo to splash screen on game start [*] Fixed issues with "Campfire" and "Titan of Industry" achievements that caused delays in awarding achievements [*] Fixed issue with Untouchable achievement being given in error [/list] As always, we hope you enjoy, and please let us know if you have any issues or feedback! 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