SANDROTTEN: EKERA UPDATE 1.0.9.7

TLDR Version: Combat & regen systems were rebalanced, gameplay flow improvements. Enemy AI optimized, new enemy & new weapons were added, combat UI was cleaned up. New graphics & FPS settings, a Crypt bestiary, & a new Ekera hell.

GAMEPLAY & COMBAT

*ADJUSTED DAMAGE ON BROAD BLADED GREATSWORD FROM 148 TO 155 FOR BETTER BALANCING.

*CHANGED HEALTH REGENERATION RATE.

*CHANGED STAMINA REGENERATION RATE.

*CHANGED POISE REGENERATION RATE.

*HEALTH, STAMINA, AND POISE REGENERATION RATES SHOULD NO LONGER STUTTER, SPEED UP OR LAG BEHIND WHEN REGENERATING.

*REDUCED THE LOW POISE STAMINA COST PENALTY MULTIPLIER FROM 3X TO 1.3X.

*BLOODFIRE SHARDS NOW INCREASE HEALTH REGENERATION RATE BY 2.5X, UP FROM 2X.

*ADDED THE ABILITY TO SWITCH BETWEEN STANCES ON SOME WEAPONS.

*LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN OR STRAIGHT UP WILL NO LONGER AFFECT PLAYER MOVEMENT SPEED.

*MADE CHANGES TO THE GAMEPLAY FLOW OF THE FAILURE HELL.

*THE ANTI SPAWN CAMPING ZONE NOW CAUSES DAMAGE OVER TIME INSTEAD OF INSTANT DEATH.

*ADDED NEW DEBUFF SYSTEM.

ENEMIES & AI

*ENEMIES NOW SPAWN A SOUL ORB ON DEATH FOR VISUAL KILL CONFIRMATION.

*SOME ENEMIES WILL NOW ADJUST THEIR MOVEMENT SPEED BASED ON DISTANCE TO THE PLAYER.

*OPTIMIZED ENEMY AI UNDER THE HOOD TO GREATLY REDUCE CPU LOAD. ENEMY STATS REMAIN UNCHANGED.

*MADE SOME VISUAL CHANGES TO THE SENTINEL ENEMY TIERS.

*THE WRAITH ENEMY TYPE NOW SPAWNS CORRECTLY AS INTENDED, AFTER THE DEATH OF SENTINELS.

*ENEMY HEALTH BARS NO LONGER DISPLAY AT LONG DISTANCES AND ONLY APPEAR WHEN THE PLAYER IS CLOSE.

*ADDED AN "ALIVE" COUNTER TO INDICATE CURRENT NUMBER OF ENEMIES.

*ADDED THE NEW WHISPERER ENEMY TYPE.

WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT

*ADDED THE RUNIC SPEAR, OLD EMPIRE SHOTEL, AND OLD EMPIRE FALCATA WEAPONS.

*PLAYER CHARACTER NOW HAS A POUCH. PURELY VISUAL CHANGE.

*FIXED A BUG WHERE BRAND NEW PLAYERS WOULD START THE GAME WITH AN INCOMPLETE OUTFIT AND WITHOUT A WEAPON.

UI & UX

*CORRECTED A UI AUDIO GLITCH THAT CAUSED THE UI SOUND TO PLAY VERY LOUDLY WHEN OPENING THE PAUSE MENU.

*UPDATED THE CONTROLS MENU IN RITES TAB FOR BETTER READABILITY.

*FIXED AN ISSUE WHERE THE MOUSE COULD BECOME UNRESPONSIVE IN MENUS (ARMOR, WEAPONS), PREVENTING PLAYERS FROM CLOSING THE UI. YOU CAN NOW PRESS P OR ESC TO FORCE-CLOSE THE CURRENT MENU IF MOUSE INPUT IS LOST. PRESSING P OR ESC WHILE A MENU IS NOT OPEN WILL PAUSE THE GAME, SAME AS BEFORE.

*UPDATED PLAYER UI FOR A TIGHTER, CLEANER LOOK. DAMAGE INFORMATION HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE MAIN UI AND IS NOW ACCESSIBLE BY PRESSING "I".

SETTINGS & OPTIONS

*ADDED GRAPHICS SETTINGS. YOU CAN NOW SELECT SCALABILITY SETTINGS VIA THE RITES TAB IN THE PAUSE MENU.

*ADDED FPS SETTINGS. YOU CAN NOW SELECT FPS LIMITS VIA THE RITES TAB IN THE PAUSE MENU.

*ADDED VSYNC SETTINGS. YOU CAN NOW SELECT VSYNC ON/OFF SETTINGS VIA THE RITES TAB IN THE PAUSE MENU.

*ADDED A FIRST PERSON PERSPECTIVE TOGGLE. HIGHLY EXPERIMENTAL AND MAY LEAD TO GLITCHES OR BUGS.

CONTENT & LEVELS

*ADDED A BESTIARY IN THE CRYPT LEVEL.

*FIXED BLURRY TEXTURE ON DISTANT DUNES IN THE EKERA NEGLECT HELL.

*ADDED NEW EKERA HELL "DESECRATION".