Backer Beta Build 333 is live!

[BAdler]

EDIT: I forgot to add that the Mac build is now available for download from Steam! The Linux build still has a problem with loading and unloading asset bundles. Unity knows about the issue and we will release the Linux build once they post a fix. Thanks for the patience.

 

Hey, everyone. The latest Backer Beta update is now live. We hope you enjoy. I have included some patch notes.

 

Thanks for all of the help in testing the game and providing useful feedback.

 

Talents and Core Abilities
Over a hundred Talents have been added to allow more options for class customization during the level up process. We've adjusted how the core class abilities are granted to allow for more flexibility within each class.
 
Revised Skill Progression
You can no longer spend points to upgrade skills during level up. All skill advancement is now done through Talents, and thematically grouped Talents will award additional skill points if chosen during level up. Your background choice during character creation will also reward additional skill points.
 
Fog Of War
The Fog of War has been upgraded to obey the sight visibility for the party members. No more cheating by looking over walls and closed doors in dungeons!
 
Experience Points
We decided to add a few more ways to gain experience points to increase the regularity that XP is rewarded throughout the game. We've added minor bestiary, exploration, lock, and trap XP rewards. Bestiary XP is rewarded when new entries are unlocked in the Bestiary page in the Journal, and will stop being rewarded if the entry is complete. Exploration XP is given out when new areas and landmarks are discovered in the world.
 
Glossary
An in game glossary has been added with explanation and definitions of game and combat rules. These entries are hyperlinked so you can easily find information on what you are looking for. You can click directly on keywords in the combat log, or open up the Journal's Glossary page.
 
Hotkeys

Hotkeys can be assigned to any ability on the hot bar and additionally be access through a quick hotkey menu. We still intend to revise how this system works, but please provide feedback if you like or dislike our direction.

 

Additional Fixes

• Improved 2D trigger rendering.
• Added new targeting indicators.
• Added a tab menu to quickly change between full screen UI.
• Update the stash UI with separate pages for ingredients and quest items.
• Revised lockpick UI for better clarity.
• Fixed many save and load inconsistencies.
• Fixed issue with perception not effecting the range of spells.
• Characters with reach weapons should now attack at a proper distance.
• Many fixes to placed traps.
• Many, many fixes to spells and abilities.
• Added more hairstyles.
• Added more icons.

Fixed Issues

Save/Load/Persistence

• BB Wizard's Cape is no longer rendered white, this was caused or fixed by Save/Load depending on the situation - Thread Link
• Loading saved games while in combat or with factions turned aggressive no longer persists into the loaded game - Thread Link
• Fixed issues with game options not persisting throughout gameplay and closing and opening the client
• Save/Loading in Lle a Rhemen 02 (the lower area) will  no longer cause you to be unable to access certain areas - Thread Link
• Save/Loading no longer causes enemies in the scene to be reduced to 0 DT

 

Area Design

• Backer NPCs no longer have Missing Strings for their Soul Memory descriptions - Thread Link
• Examinable objects are no longer losing and/or duplicating their icons - Thread Link

 

Spells/Abilities/Classes/Gameplay

• Dead party members are now being removed from the party - Thread Link
• Perception now properly affects the range of attacks and spells
• Placed Traps are now working properly
• Missed attacks in combat are no longer causing hit reactions and hit SFX - Thread Link
• Characters with reach weapons are no longer moving into melee range when commanded to attack from a distance - Thread Link
• Druid Spirit Shift forms are now attacking properly - Thread Link
• Stone Beetles will no longer stay underground when in combat - Thread Link
• Spells already in BB Wizard's or a looted Grimoire can no longer be inscribed a second time into the Grimoire - Thread Link
• Large parties, especially with Ranger pets or summons, should have an easier time with transitions - Thread Link
• Loading games no longer clears the resting bonus gained from an Inn
• Spiders no longer "teleport" past your front line or moving towards a character they could not have reached - Thread Link

 

Art

• Rocks near the east side of Dyrford Crossing have had navmesh adjusted to prevent clipping - Thread Link
• Navmesh near the ruins in the southwest of Dyrford Crossing has been cleaned up - Thread Link
• Scouting Circles have new art - Thread Link

Items

• Pollaxes are now being treated as best of Slash/Crush, instead of just Slash
• The BB Wizard's Cloak item is no longer floating significantly out of position
• Minor Stamina potion is now valued less than Major Stamina potion

 

User Interface

• Abilities shown in character creation update immediately as different classes are selected - Thread Link
• Holding the Tab Key while transitioning no longer places Backer Icons on the screen permanently
• You can now split stacks of Potions, Scrolls, Traps, and other Quick Items - Thread Link
• Steps can no longer be skipped in Character Creation
• Paperdoll models are no longer disappearing from the Level Up and Inventory UI

Other

• Changing keybindings in the control options will now unbind the key you assign from its previous assignment
• The Cyclopedia Bestiary values are now accurate - Thread Link

 

Known Issues

Save/Load/Persistence

• Save/Load causes the inventory paperdoll not to show weapons and shields until another character is selected - Thread Link
• Fog of War does not persist on Save/Load and transitions - Thread Link
• BB Fighter sometimes becomes invisible after Save/Load - Thread Link
• Uninstalling the game does not remove all files that the game created - Thread Link
• Save/Load causes character shadows to disappear on the East and West sides of Dyrford Village - Thread Link
• Saving a paused game, closing and reopening the client, then loading that game via the Continue causes the game to load in paused - Thread Link
• Memory usage increases after loading the game (closing the client and opening it resets this) - Thread Link
• Memory usage increases after transitions (closing the client and opening it resets this) - Thread Link

 

Area Design

• Hendyna wanders off to the forest at times and is not at her shop - Thread Link
• The Water Wheel in Dyrford Village seems to be rotating in the wrong direction - Thread Link
• The Temple Skaen entrance is visible on the area map without first moving the statue - Thread Link
• Boar companion is left behind when Medreth leaves - Thread Link

 

Spells/Abilities/Classes/Gameplay

• Best of Weapons are not showing the proper damage type in the combat log - Thread Link
• Talents Resilient Companion, Faithful Companion, and Painful Interdiction are not working properly
• Charmed/Dominated creatures will attack themselves - Thread Link
• Crystal Eater Spiders, Crystal Eater Spiderlings, and Widowmaker Spiders are bypassing 10 DT

 

Art

• Hendyna's home has a visual shaking effect when entered and zoomed in - Thread Link
• The Health bar indicators feel somewhat unpolished and appear to overlap the portrait - Thread Link
• Morning Stars (of the non-Fine Quality) are transparent in game and character creation - Thread Link

Items

• The Sabre will sometimes strike for 0.0 damage negating the attack entirely - Thread Link

 

User Interface

• Paladin's description is missing the word "Health" after the health multiplier - Thread Link
• Savage Endurance tooltip is showing too many decimals - Thread Link
• Accuracy shown in the Inventory and Character sheet do not reflect the bonus for single 1 Handed weapons and Enchant/Mod accuracy effects
• Character Creation buttons can have a significant delay when clicked
• Character Creation attribute allocation arrows continue to make SFX sounds if clicked after they have disappeared - Thread Link
• White damage values in the combat log only display whole numbers and not decimal values (Makes DoT effects misleading)
• Time stamp font is small in when viewing saved games - Thread Link
• Traps and Hidden Secrets change the mouse cursor when hovered over (before they are discovered) - Thread Link
• Saved games are not ordering properly and are sometimes resetting their play time
• Opening and closing the Area Map shifts 2D UI elements (Including character circles) - Thread Link
• Temp Status icons are sometimes appearing during combat (White Squares with Green Circles)
• Stash access in the Shop UI needs to be switched to page format

[Marceror]

Looks like a nice list of changes. Very happy about the xp award changes!

[PrimeHydra]

Awesome, can't wait to try it!

[leninghola]

[junk11]

Really nice changes in this patch, love it!

[Zeckul]

Why wasn't the water wheel fixed? Should be labeled Critical, Priority 1 on your list. It's utterly worthless to play this game knowing that water flows uphill for no good reason.
 
 
 
 
 
 
By the way that's a joke

Edited October 25, 2014 by Zeckul

[Tartantyco]

Experience Points

We decided to add a few more ways to gain experience points to increase the regularity that XP is rewarded throughout the game. We've added minor bestiary, exploration, lock, and trap XP rewards. Bestiary XP is rewarded when new entries are unlocked in the Bestiary page in the Journal, and will stop being rewarded if the entry is complete. Exploration XP is given out when new areas and landmarks are discovered in the world.

 

 

Completely pointless. Remove all of this.

[PrimeJunta]

Whoa, big update. You guys been working hard.

 

Surprised you changed the skill system so drastically, will be interesting to try that out. Still don't care for the idea of lock/trap XP. 

 

Very happy about the massive number of talents, general combat and pathfinding fixes, and adjustments to core abilities.

 

:runs off to try it:

[lightblade75]

Thanks for this new build. A lot of changes seem to be to abilities and so on.

 

Let's see how the new run looks and feels.

 

Thanks for your hard work so far.

[Jajo]

 

EDIT: I forgot to add that the Mac build is now available for download from Steam! The Linux build still has a problem with loading and unloading asset bundles. Unity knows about the issue and we will release the Linux build once they post a fix. Thanks for the patience.

 

Incredible. Any ETA? Another month?

[swordofthesith]

War Team PoE! <3

[Monte Carlo]

 

Experience Points

We decided to add a few more ways to gain experience points to increase the regularity that XP is rewarded throughout the game. We've added minor bestiary, exploration, lock, and trap XP rewards. Bestiary XP is rewarded when new entries are unlocked in the Bestiary page in the Journal, and will stop being rewarded if the entry is complete. Exploration XP is given out when new areas and landmarks are discovered in the world.

 

 

Completely pointless. Remove all of this.

 

 

Ha ha ha. You are an awesome parody of yourself, an overwrought portrait of self-regard. Please, don't stop being you.

[Lord Vicious]

 

Experience Points

We decided to add a few more ways to gain experience points to increase the regularity that XP is rewarded throughout the game. We've added minor bestiary, exploration, lock, and trap XP rewards. Bestiary XP is rewarded when new entries are unlocked in the Bestiary page in the Journal, and will stop being rewarded if the entry is complete. Exploration XP is given out when new areas and landmarks are discovered in the world.

 

 

Completely pointless. Remove all of this.

 

 

And add kill XP.

[BillyCorgan]

Nice !

[Sensuki]

I don't really like the XP changes myself. I'm okay with some of them but not all.

[morhilane]

So many changes and fixes. Looks like another few hours of playing around trying stuff. First thing I'm doing and placing a trap though.

[gnoemli]

Thanks thanks thanks for the OS X Beta going live. I'm gone test the **** out of it

And thanks again for all your efford

[Marceror]

 

Experience Points

We decided to add a few more ways to gain experience points to increase the regularity that XP is rewarded throughout the game. We've added minor bestiary, exploration, lock, and trap XP rewards. Bestiary XP is rewarded when new entries are unlocked in the Bestiary page in the Journal, and will stop being rewarded if the entry is complete. Exploration XP is given out when new areas and landmarks are discovered in the world.

 

 

Completely pointless. Remove all of this.

 

Agreed that this is completely awesome, and should be expanded upon. Nice to see us agreeing for a change.

[opalmer]

 

…I forgot to add that the Mac build is now available for download…

 

 

Oh gosh, what a lovely Saturday. Thank you! 

[Matt516]

Lock/trap XP boo, most everything else, yay! Will see how this new skill progression works, sounds interesting...

[Bryy]

Unexpected but very nice. The Beastiary XP is a step in the right direction but still seems too little.

[Elzarath]

Very excited about the changes (especially XP changes). Thanks team!

[Corivar]

 

Experience Points

We decided to add a few more ways to gain experience points to increase the regularity that XP is rewarded throughout the game. We've added minor bestiary, exploration, lock, and trap XP rewards. Bestiary XP is rewarded when new entries are unlocked in the Bestiary page in the Journal, and will stop being rewarded if the entry is complete. Exploration XP is given out when new areas and landmarks are discovered in the world.

 

 

Completely pointless. Remove all of this.

 

Yep. With combat in PoE being more involved than the infinity engine games, I never expected to go unrewarded for the effort. All this extra trouble to try and balance a problem they created in the first place. When I initially backed this on kickstarter I never expected such a radical depature from the games this was to be the spiritual successor to. I will wait patiently until release and hope to be proven wrong, but as of right now i am very disapointed I contributed anything.

Edited October 26, 2014 by Corivar

[DrBrian]

That gives experience for kills without allowing chain farming. Geez some are never satisfied.

[Stun]

 

Experience Points

We decided to add a few more ways to gain experience points to increase the regularity that XP is rewarded throughout the game. We've added minor bestiary, exploration, lock, and trap XP rewards. Bestiary XP is rewarded when new entries are unlocked in the Bestiary page in the Journal, and will stop being rewarded if the entry is complete. Exploration XP is given out when new areas and landmarks are discovered in the world.[/size]

 

Completely pointless. Remove all of this.

 

Rofl!

 

Dear Sore Loser,

 

I will refrain from hurling my usual I told you so's in your general direction, and will also spare you my obligatory victory dance. But I do feel the need to call you out on your repeated claims from a couple of months ago, that this particular XP issue is 1)a moot point; 2) set in stone; 3) Unchangeable; 4) A total waste of time to discuss (see 2 & 3).

 

As it is now plain for all to see, your arguments (all 4 of them) have proven to be so much nonsense. A change in developer philosophy was made, and relatively quickly, in fact (we didn't have to wait for a sequel, for example) But there's no point in whining about it. Perhaps NOW is the time for your side to wipe away your crocodile tears and show your support for Obsidian. They have listened to our feedback. Rejoice. PoE will be a better game as a result.

 

Sincerely,

 

Stun

Edited October 27, 2014 by Stun