☀️ Summer Update - Better enemies, spell overhaul and improved crafting...

It’s finally summer here in Portugal, and with a bit more daylight available, I’ve had more time to continue working on improvements for the game!

With version 1.7 bringing story updates and 1.8 (launched last month) introducing dual-wielding and better combat, it’s now time to take a few months to “clean house” — refactoring a ton of code and preparing the game for something much bigger.

Let’s talk about what’s happening behind the scenes, and what you can expect from version 1.9 (or maybe even 2.0… this next update is shaping up to be massive!).

✅ What’s Already Done:

🔮 Ability System Overhaul — Spells No Longer Require Staves

The consumable card system has been replaced with a cleaner ability system that simplifies spellcasting. From the next update onwards:

• Spells no longer require staves to cast.

• Use the Q key or Triangle on your controller to cast instantly.

• You can cast spells even without the required Intelligence stat — they’ll just do less damage.

• Spells can now be charged by holding the key/button, increasing the final damage!

Here's a look in action:

This system also allows combat abilities to be equipped into the spell slot. For example: Throw Weapon is vastly improved and benefits from charging — the longer you hold, the harder it hits!

And here's a bonus one: Setting up traps using the portal spell to make quick work of enemies!

🔧 What’s in Progress:

🧠 Smarter Enemies & Shared Combat Logic

Enemies are getting a major upgrade! They’ll soon use the exact same systems as the player:

• Dual-wielding and combo logic

• Switching weapons mid-fight

• Custom attack styles depending on equipped weapons

An enemy might start with a spear and shield, and mid-battle switch to dual greatswords. The sky’s the limit!

Best of all, this refactor centralizes logic, which means fewer bugs and easier item creation in future.

And yes — if you see an enemy with a cool weapon, it might now drop as loot!

This opens the door for full companion customization (like Hugo), letting you equip different weapons and define their entire fighting style.

🔨 Crafting System & Smithing Shards

Work is underway to expand the upgrade system beyond weapons:

• Armor and spells will be upgradable too

• Iron Shards are being replaced with Smithing Shards

• Weapons can be upgraded all the way to +10

🛠️ Coming Soon (Fixes & Plans):

• Gold dupe bug will be fixed (caused by gold persisting after death/load)

• Gamepad icon bug — PS4 controller icons sometimes fail to load. This is being investigated.

• New Armor Sets! Currently testing edited 3D models from Synty to add fresh armors like the Samurai Set:

This huge rework is a great opportunity to revisit old maps and polish up existing content too. Tons of new weapons, spells, and abilities are on the way. So stay tuned — there’s a lot more coming! 🚀