Rework of Morale, Stamina, and Combat System

Long time no see, mercenaries!

It’s been a while since our last update — and we haven’t been idle. Over the past few months, Plague Lords has undergone massive changes. We’ve reworked core systems, added quality-of-life features, and improved the overall gameplay experience. Here's a quick breakdown of the most important updates:

🧳 Items Can Now Be Dropped on the Ground

No more disappearing gear! Dropped items will now stay on the ground for a couple of in-game days. If your squad is overloaded, you can temporarily leave some supplies behind and come back for them later. Perfect for forced marches when you don't want to lose valuable resources.

⚖️ Morale System Fully Reworked

Morale now dynamically responds to everything: character actions, conditions, and story events.

• High morale may allow characters to walk without losing stamina, do more work, or even gain bonus attacks in combat.

• Low morale means reduced effectiveness and negative statuses.

Had a few too many drinks? You'll get a “Had too much wine” debuff. Run from too many fights? Your squad might earn the dreaded “Running like cowards!” trait.

Morale is no longer an infinite buff — it's now a tactical tool that can help or hurt, depending on your choices.

💥 Abilities Now Use Stamina Instead of Morale

Abilities now consume stamina, making the system more intuitive. Morale now affects combat indirectly, while stamina governs your ability to act. This makes skill use easier to plan and overall combat resource management more strategic.

🔧 Equipment Repair Now Happens in Workshops

You can now repair worn-out gear at workshops. This allows you to keep your equipment in good condition without having to waste extra resources crafting replacements.

🧍‍♂️ Easier Unit Selection in Combat

No more hunting for the right portrait in the UI — just click the character directly on the battlefield to select them. Fast and intuitive.

🛡️ Attack and Defense Now Use Percentages

Calculations are now shown as percentages and influenced by character stats. This makes outcomes more transparent and allows for better tactical planning.

🔁 Limited Counterattacks

Each character and enemy can only make one counterattack per turn. The old “do nothing and win” strategy is no longer viable — now, every move counts.

🎨 Colored Hints and More Info On-Screen

Want to know who you're up against? Hover over characters and enemies to see detailed info right on the battlefield. It’s faster, clearer, and more informative.

🔍 Equipment Comparison in Inventory

When a character is selected, item tooltips in the inventory will now highlight attack and defense stats in green if they're better than the equipped item, and red if they're worse. This makes comparing gear quick and effortless — no more switching back and forth.

🧮 Item Usage Counter

Consumable items like food, water, and arrows now show a small icon indicating how many uses are left. Simple and convenient for resource management during long expeditions.

🧠 Smarter AI

Enemies now behave more logically — instead of circling around endlessly, they’ll push through camps and buildings to reach their targets. Defense is now more straightforward, and tactical gameplay feels cleaner and more predictable.

And finally — we’ll be sharing more about the prologue very soon...