Update 0.4.6

This update changes how fights work, how maps read, and how the game looks in moment-to-moment play. It also adds some quality-of-life changes in the Sanctum and UI, and we want to be very direct about how we build things.

Let’s get to it.

COVER, LINE OF SIGHT, POSITIONING

Combat is more tactical now. Positioning actually matters.

• True Line of Sight Certain walls now fully block vision. If you’re behind one of these, enemies literally can’t target you. You can break aggro and force them to move.

• Partial Cover Some objects don’t block sight, but they do protect you. If you stand directly behind them, incoming damage can be reduced by 50%.

This is a core step toward “tactical deckbuilder,” not “stat check brawler.”

NEW MAPS BUILT FOR THAT SYSTEM

We’ve added new combat maps designed around Line of Sight and cover.

• More tight corners and firing lanes.

• More hard blockers (you can’t shoot through them at all).

• More half-cover objects that let you survive instead of just melt.

Early encounters now feel less copy-paste. Fights are starting to play like puzzles instead of just damage races.

DYNAMIC SHADOWS AND LIGHTING

Maps now use dynamic lighting and real-time shadows.

Why that matters (besides looking better):

• You can visually “read” where cover is and where the threats are.

• Depth and shape are clearer at a glance.

• Corners and occluders are easier to understand mid-fight.

This isn’t just visual polish. It supports the new combat rules by making the field readable without needing a tooltip on every tile.

SANCTUM IS NOW CLICKABLE

The Sanctum (your hub between runs) is no longer just a vertical list of options.

• You now interact with specific locations in the Sanctum by clicking on them.

• Upgrades / services / points of interest are tied to where they physically are, not just to a menu entry.

Long-term goal: the Sanctum should feel like an actual place you return to, not a lobby screen.

CARD ANIMATION UPDATE

We’ve replaced the old placeholder card animations with newer ones:

• Plays, attacks, and ability triggers look cleaner, hit harder, and are easier to follow.

• Timing is snappier so you can actually tell what just resolved.

Important note on production: We’re a very small team doing this project after hours. Some of these new animations were assisted using ComfyUI to generate motion/poses that we then clean up and integrate. We’re not going to pretend it’s all “mysterious internal tools” or hide that we used generative tech. When we use AI-assisted content directly in the game, we will say so, clearly.

Our goal is to land a consistent style and ship something that feels alive, even while we’re still in this “built at night after work” phase. Long-term, we want to move to full-time development on Ashes of Morgravia. For now, this is still evenings/weekends and honesty matters more to us than marketing fluff.

VISUAL POLISH (ICONS, UI, BACKGROUNDS)

We touched a lot of surface-level readability:

• Reworked / replaced multiple UI icons.

• Updated certain backgrounds and interface elements for better contrast.

• Cleaned up parts of the presentation so it matches the tone we’re going for: grim, cel-shaded, structured.

You’ll notice it in combat HUD, resource indicators, and general screen clarity.

BALANCE PASS

We adjusted balance around the new systems:

• Early enemy pressure has been tuned so you actually have time to use cover instead of getting rushed turn 1.

• Some abilities and cards were rebalanced around damage reduction from partial cover.

• General tweaks so one or two builds aren’t automatic best-in-slot.

This will keep moving. The new cover/LoS rules expose what’s broken fast, and we’ll keep reacting.

TO SUM IT UP

• Combat now uses real Line of Sight and real cover.

• Some obstacles block all attacks; others give up to 50% damage reduction if you’re behind them.

• New maps are built around that positioning game.

• Maps now have dynamic lighting and shadows to support readability.

• The Sanctum is now interactable as a location instead of a plain list.

• Card animations got upgraded. We used ComfyUI in parts of this process and we’re being open about that.

• UI icons / backgrounds / visuals got another pass.

• Balance updated to fit the new systems.

We’re building Ashes of Morgravia with limited time but full intent. Long-term we want this to become our full-time focus. Until then, you’ll always know what was handmade, what was assisted, and why.