5/30 Update

Joker here with another update for Ascent!

This time around I want to start off with a visual update. The Tileset I was using before wasn't popping the way I wanted to, so there's been an adjustment.

The left side is the old Tileset, the right is the new. The battle background also has been changed a bit to reflect.

This change was done to give the game a bit more visual identity.

Now there's been a few new enemies and tweaks, but also for a new way to help play test. During moments of a randomized Elite, you can choose which traveler appears. This is meant specifically for playtesting, the game is meant to be played with the randomization in mind, but since this is a playtest as much as it is a demo, this option will be in this release. I have an idea to add a currency that persists throughout runs that allows you to access this in the full release, but no promises at the moment.

The Student has a new spell! Ice Call. Frozen is a new state that has a small debuff on both defenses. Getting 2 Ice Counters for EX-Ice Call will re-apply/add the Frozen state as well as the appropriate negative defense counters. In the future The Student will be able to mix and match the counters for more spells, this has always been the plan for her, but I wasn't sure what to do for her 3rd spell type until now.

Onto the new characters!

The Punk is a support character that specializes in debuffing their enemies. These are the first negative state counters that you will have access to. The Punk currently will create ATK Debuff and DEF Debuff counters. The Punk also has access to Ruin, which will increase the negative state counters on an enemy by one, a negative version of Proliferate. Use The Punk as a way to weaken your enemies to ensure survival, or to quickly finish.

The Saber is both a critical based party member and also damage over time.  She generates Sword Counters which will attack for each counter at the end of a full combat round as well as giving a critical hit buff. She also has multiple moves to benefit a critical buff, and her Sword Counters are based off of both attack stats, and the move to generate them is dropped upon slaying The Saber.

That's it! I wanted to get more done on this update but life got in the way. I can't promise any update on this next month, I'm sucked back into FFXIV among other things, as well as the stress of game dev taking it's toll. This is a solo project at the end of the day, and a hobby one at that.

That said, thank you for reading and I hope you continue to support Ascent!