Update log
Full Drop Duchy update
The complete published notes, normalized for clean reading and source attribution.
Extracted changes
- Store
- Security
- Gameplay
- Maps
- Balance
Hi again!
We’ve been busy at Sleepy Mill Studio since the release of The Tribe DLC this summer. We continue to be floored by the game’s reception, and we’ve even had the honor of winning the Best Game Design prize at the Devgamm Awards!
Today, we’re back with another major update for Drop Duchy, once again bringing a DLC faction alongside a lot of free content (including some of the most requested additions from the community). Wanna know all about it? You’re in the right place!
Introducing The North
The North is a new Viking-themed faction available as DLC in the store for 3.99€/3.99$ and as part of the Complete Edition bundle. Like all the other factions, you can use The North to play any of the game modes.
[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/4091080/Drop_Duchy__The_North/"]
I’ll soon publish another devlog to dive deep into The North exclusive mechanics and cards, here’s a little preview. In a nutshell, they’re combat-oriented folks who pillage production buildings for additional resources and earn bonuses every time they take damage. Their distinctive combat mechanic requires you to rethink your strategic approach. Some of the old combos may not be as efficient as with the other factions, but trust me, you’ll find new synergies to exploit once you master the North combat style.
Free content addition: New bosses
In the 1.2 patch available to all players, we’re adding three new bosses to add more variety to your runs! True to the original vision of the game, each boss (one per act) has special quirks that you need to pay attention to, and we’ve made sure they’re beatable with a variety of decks.
Here’s a bit of teasing about what you can expect from them:
The Gate separates the battlefield into two halves
The Fortification adds War Chariots to the deck to sabotage your siege
The Basilica has the powerful ability to steal your units for its own benefit
Each run is procedurally generated, so now you’ll get either boss of each act randomly. If you’d like to get ahead and prepare your strategy accordingly, make sure to scroll the map.
Free game mode: Ascension
Another much-requested feature was the Ascension mode, a staple of modern roguelite design. In Drop Duchy, Ascension is available as soon as you’ve beaten Normal mode with a faction, and it provides a more progressive difficulty than the ones we had in the game.
Each Ascension Tier, you have to select a certain number of modifiers among a long list, up to your preference and the strategy you devised. Do you go for an increased number of enemies, lower starting health, or more expensive card upgrades? Whatever you pick, if you manage to win the run, you move on to the next tier and get an exclusive reward!
Indeed, each of the 10 tiers offers a unique visual customization option, such as a health bar, a card back, or a grid skin that you can use with that faction. They’re purely visual and don’t do anything special other than looking nice and proving to the world that you’ve mastered the faction.
Quality of life: the Undo button
Yes, we finally did it —we added the #1 most-requested feature! With this new patch comes a button to undo the last piece. Believe me, implementing such a feature after the fact is a technical hurdle, so don’t be surprised if you spot bugs here and there.
Whether you accidentally pressed a button or didn’t realize a
Source