Greetings, Gatekeepers!
[p]Today I’m excited to dive into the balance and QoL changes we’ve been cooking up.[/p][p]Let’s start with the topic you’ve asked about all year.[/p][p][/p]
Balance
- [p]The entire balance sheet has been rebuilt.[/p][/*]
- [p]The 80 % difficulty tier is gone.[/p][/*]
- [p]The gaps between 100 %, 150 %, and 200 % are now much sharper—you’ll feel every step.[/p][/*]
Enemies
[p]We rewired nearly every system that controls enemy spawns.[/p][p]Early-run behaviour:[/p][p]100% - Only specific enemy types and a limited set of Elites can appear at the start. The mix heats up with each loop.[/p][p]200% - Almost the full Elite roster and enemy pool are available from the very first second.[/p][p][img src="https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//42755050/9a9fe7b4978c373c5c34b8bcadfc4bccec72333e.gif"][/img][/p][p][/p]Sirens
- [p]Loop 1 is mostly unchanged.[/p][/*]
- [p]Deeper runs raise the chance that Sirens spawn in packs of 2-3 (some may be Elite). Higher difficulty brings this forward.[/p][/*]
- [p]From Loop 2 onward, Rampants spawn alongside Sirens, scaling with difficulty and run length.[/p][/*]
Events
[p]Two new global events enter the rota:[/p][olist][*][p]Shield Generators – every enemy spawns with a shield that must be broken before you can damage health.[/p][/*][*][p]Immortal Pursuit – each player is hunted by their own Immortal. Immortals die only under specific conditions or with certain artefacts; if they hit you, it’s a one-shot. Ouch.[/p][/*][/olist][p]These join the existing pool, so up to 3-4 events can now trigger simultaneously in late-game normal runs. Mind-blowing chaos.[/p][p][img src="https://clan.fastly.steamstatic.com/images//42755050/dc14e9a4e26d214729e3acdb2e2b52cc3846e759.gif"][/img][/p][p][/p]Artefacts
[p]Some artefacts were rebuilt from scratch, others tweaked. Individually small, collectively run-shaping.[/p][p]For example:[/p]- [p]Fractal now saves you from death once, then shatters. A spent Fractal can be smelted at the forge for 10 Scrap.[/p][/*]
- [p]Enter the Triad of Fractal: assemble it and Fractal gains unlimited uses.[/p][/*]
Achievements
- [p]Unlocking an achievement now instantly unlocks the artefacts linked to it.[/p][/*]
- [p]To preserve drop-pool control, ban slots jump from 4 → 10.[/p][/*]
Quality of Life Highlights
- [p]Hosts no longer disconnect from their own runs (ancient bug, finally gone).[/p][/*]
- [p]Gatekeeper skill descriptions and evolutions rewritten: unified format, key stats up front, readability way up.[/p][/*]
- [p]Quiet Bay remade—smaller, flatter, faster.[/p][list]
- [p]Added Merchant’s Altar: trade Omni-Stones for Prisms when you’re just short of an artefact.[/p][/*]
[p][dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2106670/?snr=1_5_9__205"][/dynamiclink][/p][p]That’s all for today—thanks for the continuous feedback and ideas.[/p][p]Playtest details land in the next few days.[/p][p][/p][p]Until then…[/p][p]See you in the Throne Room. — Gravity Lagoon[/p][p][/p]
