Darkest Dungeon II

[whydoibother]

How would you make a sequel to Darkest Dungeon? What would be a game design that is sufficiently similar so the fans like it, and sufficiently different so it couldn't just be a mod or a DLC?

Why not? Aren't sequels "more & better"?

If Darkest Dungeons 2 is just "more and better", the question would be why wasn't it a DLC for Darkest Dungeon, at half the price. Expansion packs are "more and better". Sequels should fundamentally change stuff. They should do things that can't just be attached to the last game with with a big patch, to justify the full price.
Anyways, DD2 seems to be a new engine, a new look, new mechanics, etc, so it is a new game. Won't find anyone accusing them of just releasing a DLC for full cost. I probably won't like it, based on what I've seen, but I haven't played yet. We'll see.

 

[Harthwain]

Expansion packs are "more and better". Sequels should fundamentally change stuff.

Actually, expansions are just "more". Sequels are "more and better", including tweaking and changing stuff the previous game did. Darkest Dungeon 2 changes a lot of stuff, but I'd say it changes too much and the changes are not for the better (the latter being the main problem).

 

[KateMicucci]

Unnecessary sequel, that makes further unnecessary changes to the OG game formula.

I wouldn't mind a sequel, but the changes are puzzling to me. I doubt I will be getting it, and I really liked the previous one.

How would you make a sequel to Darkest Dungeon? What would be a game design that is sufficiently similar so the fans like it, and sufficiently different so it couldn't just be a mod or a DLC?
A Dungeon Keeper style game where you play as the Estate, and fight off the approaching mercenaries of the DD1 player until you manage to connect to the Heart of Darkness and make yourself one with the universe.

Solve the problems in the first game while preserving its strengths.

Main strength of the OG was the artwork and other atmospheric stuff. Easy to preserve.

Biggest issue was the exploration. Or "exploration". The entire map and travel system should have been overhauled. Big rooms, little rooms, verticality, mixed biomes. Bringing torches was even optional (some say suboptimal) in DD1.

And a big part of the appeal of exploring in RPGs is finding cool loot. DD had no cool loot, just various resources to grind.

Basically "Mountains of Madness" / "Dan Simmons' The Terror" / Sunless Sea mashup. You can even replace the camp with an icebreaker ship, and add mutiny events (in place of stress checks).

It sounded like the sequel would be like this until they released the stagecoach crap instead.

 

[1451]

Funny reading people criticizing red hook studios, the dudes made a game which created its own genre by having lots of clones.
They always try new things instead of going for the triple a approach.
There is a reason you're here writing about games while they are revolutionizing the medium with each new entry.

 

[Sunri]

Funny reading people criticizing red hook studios, the dudes made a game which created its own genre by having lots of clones.
They always try new things instead of going for the triple a approach.
There is a reason you're here writing about games while they are revolutionizing the medium with each new entry.

What new entry they made, one good game?

 

[KateMicucci]

Funny reading people criticizing red hook studios, the dudes made a game which created its own genre by having lots of clones.

bro...

 

[Tyrr]

Who asked for this

That could be the tagline for DD2.

 

[1451]

It's a fact that after DD we've seen lots of similar games. It is no coincidence that they are 100% copies of DD.
Imitators have seen that this kind of game can bring in profits so they made clones of it.
Red Hook believed in the idea before everyone else, that's what pioneers do.
And criticizing them for not behaving like big publishers and churning out samey games every year is weird to me.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

how come they got rid of the Christian classes and BLACKED the leper?

 

[KateMicucci]

It's a fact that after DD we've seen lots of similar games. It is no coincidence that they are 100% copies of DD.
Imitators have seen that this kind of game can bring in profits so they made clones of it.
Red Hook believed in the idea before everyone else, that's what pioneers do.
And criticizing them for not behaving like big publishers and churning out samey games every year is weird to me.

DD did not invent the genre of roguelike dungeon crawlers (redundant because rogue was a dungeon crawler). The good roguelikes that came out after DD are not DD clones, and the games that are DD clones are shit.

 

[Harthwain]

It's a fact that after DD we've seen lots of similar games. It is no coincidence that they are 100% copies of DD.
Imitators have seen that this kind of game can bring in profits so they made clones of it.
Red Hook believed in the idea before everyone else, that's what pioneers do.

Bullshit. You know what Red Hook "pioneered"? Sanity as the core game mechanic. Which is actually pretty poorly fleshed out in the game. What Darkest Dungeon really rides on in the end is the atmosphere (the Narrator and the visuals, essentially). And instead of fleshing out its weaker aspects in the sequel, like KateMicucci said, the developers decided ditch all that when making a sequel.

We will see how Darkest Dungeon 2 fares, but I don't have any hope it will get anywhere near the success its predecessor was, because the concept has lost its novelty already and I am expecting people to be less forgiving the game having weak points in a sequel. The expectations got bigger, after all. Honestly, I am not even mad about what they did with Darkest Dungeon 2. Just extremely sad/disappointed, because I saw a lot of potential there. Oh well...

Also, "it spawned imitators"? Sure. But how many of these imitators are actually decent? I'll say Iratus is fairly interesting on the mechanical side (not amazing, but worth playing). Can't think of any other worthwhile game in this vein that'd be good though. And as an aside, out of all things to mimic I am of the opinion that the format of combat is not the best one to be inspired by. That would be features like sanity or exploration (greatly expanded upon, obviously).

On that front, Guild of Dungeoneering has pretty cool approach to exploration.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.darkestdungeon.com/news/from-beyond-the-altar-of-hope/

From Beyond: The Altar of Hope​

At each journey's onset, a moment of respite. Rest your weary bones, warm your face in the candleglow, and remember the world as it once was...​

The Altar of Hope (coming soon)​

Hope allows you to remember the world as it used to be, keeping a vision of a simpler time alive…

The upcoming Altar of Hope Update introduces a massive new progression system to Darkest Dungeon II which allows you to invest in upgrades, perks, and unlocks that suit your play style and strategy.

Candles of Hope​

On your Expeditions, you will collect Candles of Hope by completing objectives, progressing through areas, and defeating evils along the way.

Candles will only ever be earned through playing. They cannot be purchased.

Risk and Reward​

In true Darkest Dungeon fashion, the best results come from daring deeds. You’ll also need to choose when to take a safer path.

The best rewards can be gained by making it all the way to the Confession boss. Of course, this is not always possible. Fortunately, Candles can be earned with incremental successes as well.

• Cashing out: If you choose to, you can end any Expedition gracefully at any Inn. You'll keep whatever Candles you have earned so far on that journey.
• Risking it: If you choose to push on past the Inn, be aware that a mid-region party wipe or abandoned Expedition will penalize your total Candles earned. It’s always better to make it to the next Inn.
• The Pinnacle: If you reach the Mountain, you will keep every Candle you've earned that Expedition even if you fall. You have no reason not to face your failures...

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to press forward after a moment’s sanctuary at the Inn should be something that weighs heavily when tending to your party and surveying what challenges lie ahead. There is no shame in ending your Expedition here, carrying your Candles home, and spending them on upgrades at the Altar. It is crucial to recollect more of what has been forgotten to the darkness. Eventually, you will find yourself making it farther and farther on each journey, until you ultimately reach the Mountain.

The Altar of Hope​

You can recall it if you try - amber glow suffusing the city's window panes, the soft crackle of a fire in the hearth, the lap of gentle waves against sand. This kingdom was imperfect, but it was ours. Now it stands in ruin…until you can invest it once more with Hope.

You will find brief succour in the soft glow of the Altar. Meditate on that which you have lost and that which you would rebuild.

Meaningful Choices​

At the beginning of each journey, you will visit the Altar of Hope. This is where you invest your Hope (Candles) in one of the four regions detailed below.

The choices you make generally help not only your current quest, but future Expeditions as well. Through time and effort, you will give yourself better and better chances to conquer your failures.

General Upgrades​

The Intrepid Coast offers a mixture of functional and aesthetic upgrades, such as bonuses when reaching certain locations, beginning runs with greater resources in-pocket, increased inventory space, and more. These boons are permanent once unlocked.

Heroes​

The Living City is where you unlock heroes, permanent buffs, and trinkets, and some other surprises. This is also now where hero paths are unlocked. As you invest Candles along each hero’s track, their chances at surviving will increase dramatically - note the increased deathblow resist on offer.

Items​

The Working Fields is where you can expand your available pool of items - stagecoach upgrades, trinkets, combat items, and Inn items can all be discovered here. Once unlocked, an item can be found in all future expeditions. You will also have that item added to your inventory immediately for the current expedition.

If you find that the variety of trinkets and items that you are looting isn’t particularly diverse, give a thought to tools of iron and invest Candles here.

The Recollection view will show you all of the items that you have unlocked. There are hundreds in all!

Memories and Hero Persistence​

The Timeless Wood is where you can spend Candles to unlock Memories for each of your heroes.

“In our endeavors to recall to memory something long forgotten, we often find ourselves upon the very verge of remembrance, without being able, in the end, to remember.” - Edgar Allan Poe

Hero Memories​

Our memories have power over us, and as such, they grant powerful benefits. However, despite its potency, memory is also fleeting - Memories only last for that hero's specific life and are wiped upon death. Memories are a more complex mechanic than the other Altar unlockables due to their ephemeral nature, but ultimately, this will prove rewarding to a canny and experienced player.

The goal of any Expedition is to vanquish the Confession boss at the final stage, and doing so comes with a reward beyond mere recognition and triumph over one's worse nature: any heroes who survive the final battle will retain their Memories. While their Mastery level will be reset, surviving heroes will also keep their Hero Path, quirks, and name. Plus, heroes who survive a final boss battle can now have an additional Memory invested. These characteristics will persist until the hero's death. Persistence, while it lasts.

A new great challenge emerges, for those willing to tackle it: defeating all five Confession bosses in order with the same party of four heroes, all of whom are filled with Memories.

Restoration​

As you invest hope in the Altar, the view of the Kingdom will gradually become as it once was: whole and majestic. Perhaps all can be put right, after all.

The Altar of Hope update will be available on the experimental branch starting early next week. Once we are satisfied with stability, it will go live to the main game branch after that.

 

[Pink Eye]

I don't even know what this game is about anymore, lmao.

 

[Larianshill]

Alexa, define feature bloat

 

[Mauman]

Bullshit. You know what Red Hook "pioneered"? Sanity as the core game mechanic.

Er....no, not really.

Eternal Darkness for instance came out WAY before DD, and there's a few other lovecraftian styled games out there that have used Sanity as a quantifiable measure in some manner.

Maybe not in the specific way that DD did it, but to say Red Hook "pioneered" it feels...well...off.

For the record I otherwise mostly agree with you.

 

[Harthwain]

Maybe not in the specific way that DD did it, but to say Red Hook "pioneered" it feels...well...off.

Yes? It was the other guy who talked about Red Hook being "pioneers", hence the quote marks. What I meant is that Red Hook made sanity the founding idea of their game.

 

[Rocket-Propelled Game]

So I remember Marvin Seo (big name modder in the DD scene) was hired by Red Hook. I also remember his girlfriend(?) co-running his Discord being a hardline socjus activist if the server rules were anything to go by.

I'm not sure if these things are connected to DD2's current problems, though...I'm guessing not, given there don't seem to be politics rammed into DD2 and even if they were it sounds like they'd be the least of its problems.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.darkestdungeon.com/news/darkest-dungeon-ii-the-altar-of-hope-retail

Darkest Dungeon II: The Altar of Hope - Retail​

Build 0.16.38854 - live on retail!

BE ADVISED:​

This update is a wholesale rework of the fundamental underpinnings of Darkest Dungeon II’s metagame & progression. Your current Hope score will be reset, resulting in a wipe of item unlocks & hero availability. Any in-progress expeditions will also be reset.

Hero backstory progress & associated skill unlocks, as well as Confession boss unlocks will be preserved.

You will be awarded 20 Candles of Hope to expedite your exposure to the Altar of Hope.

The Altar of Hope Update introduces a massive new progression system to Darkest Dungeon II which allows you to invest in upgrades, perks, and unlocks that suit your play style and strategy.

On your Expeditions, you will collect Candles of Hope by completing objectives, progressing through areas, and defeating evils along the way. In true Darkest Dungeon fashion, the best results come from daring deeds. You’ll also need to choose when to take a safer path.

The best rewards can be gained by making it all the way to the Confession boss. Of course, this is not always possible. Fortunately, Candles can be earned with incremental successes as well.

• Cashing out: If you choose to, you can end any Expedition gracefully at any Inn. You'll keep whatever Candles you have earned so far on that journey.
• Risking it: If you choose to push on past the Inn, be aware that a mid-region party wipe or abandoned Expedition will penalize your total Candles earned. It’s always better to make it to the next Inn.
• The Pinnacle: If you reach the Mountain, you will keep every Candle you've earned that Expedition even if you fall. You have no reason not to face your failures...

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to press forward after a moment’s sanctuary at the Inn should be something that weighs heavily when tending to your party and surveying what challenges lie ahead. There is no shame in ending your Expedition here, carrying your Candles home, and spending them on upgrades at the Altar. It is crucial to recollect more of what has been forgotten to the darkness. Eventually, you will find yourself making it farther and farther on each journey, until you ultimately reach the Mountain.

For more information on the Altar of Hope, refer to this BLOG POST

A New Ally, The Bounty Hunter​

Unlike the core group of adventurers who rally at the Crossroads, the Bounty Hunter wanders from Inn to Inn, in search of his next job. If you are lucky enough to stumble upon him, and are willing to pay the price, he will replace one of your active heroes for the duration of the next region.

A consummate professional, the Bounty Hunter will not gain or lose affinity with the party. He is here to do his job, and has no interest in fostering friendships, or petty bickering. He is still vulnerable to stress, however, as any sane person should be.

For more information on the Bounty Hunter, refer to this BLOG POST.

GAMEPLAY MISCELLANEOUS​

• All quirks and diseases are now unlocked at profile start, as the Altar doesn’t have a quirk/disease section.
• HERO STATS balanced to account for the numerous Altar of Hope buffs available on each hero's advancement track
• Monsters and bosses with multiple standard actions (not including Start Round / End Round skills) will now roll their additional actions at a stacking initiative penalty in order to decrease, but not eliminate, the chances of multiple actions in a row
• INN CHANGES: Inns now vary in how much they heal. Reintroduction of stitching kit as an Inn item
• ITEM LOOT FIXES: there were some spreadsheet offsets, leading to incorrect supply item loot quantities. This should be fixed and it should be harder to get offset again
• CONFESSION BOSS BATTLE MODIFIER: when facing the end boss(es), heroes will now face a substantial Deathblow Resist penalty. This allows us to keep the fights challenging and deadly without it involving endless hero-death-door-juggling
• REMOVED Loathing restoration from Guardian fights because they are not optional
• VALLEY: swapped order of StoryAssist and Hoarder for all narration configurations
• VALLEY: changed order of Assist Encounter and Hoarder, since what you get at the Assist location may influence your shopping choices
• VALLEY ASSIST ENCOUNTER: now the player will have a choice between different loot options, instead of always getting food. Also restores full torch now since the placement of this encounter within the Valley changed
• VALLEY: the road fight now awards 2 Mastery instead of 1. Take that, enemies!
• ORDAINMENT: monsters in the first region past the Valley now will never be Ordained. Monsters in the final region before the Mountain will be Ordained 90% of the time (was 80%)
• REGION MUTATORS: Added two new ones: "Blood and Hope" and "Peace and Hope" (candle generation chance boosts at certain locations)
• Changed "Secret, Safe" region goal to be "fight less than 6 road battles" since previously it was sometimes impossible
• REGION GOAL REWARDS: added Candles into the mix!
• Stealth Tokens can now stack to a maximum of 2 and are consumed at a rate of 1 per turn, regardless of action taken unless otherwise noted on a skill
• Adjusted color of Daze/Stun text/tokens to better reflect their role as negative tokens
• Discarding items no longer rewards anything
• Occultist's self-Burn related information is now shown on the Conditions tab instead of on Unchecked Power tokens
• Lairs in the Tangle can now contain Champion mashes when appropriate
• Cultist Altars can no longer spawn in region 1 as part of 0 torch ambushes or maximum Loathing Exemplar battles
• Tokens previewed at Oblivion’s Ingress locations will now reflect their normal color regardless of the side to which they are applied
• Region goals and modifiers will be unique per region choice
• Caches can now appear in the SLUICE. (Part of the effort to ensure that SLUICE is a good risk/reward balance.)
• Valley leaf piles will sometimes yield loot, as the Academic intended
  

HEROES​

General

• Fixed an issue where Heroes would never want to head towards Oblivion's Ingress at a crossroad
• Base Deathblow Resistance has been reduced to 60% from 75%
• HP, SPD, RES base values have been adjusted down on many Heroes
  

Grave Robber

• Shadow Fade now grants 2 Stealth tokens instead of 1
• Shadow Fade+ now grants 2 Stealth tokens instead of 1
• Shadow Fade now has a 2 round cooldown
• Shadow Fade+ now has a 2 round cooldown
• Dead of Night+ now grants 2 Stealth tokens instead of 1

Hellion

• Howling End cooldown increased to 3 from 1
• Howling End+ cooldown increased to 2 from 1

Man-at-Arms

• Retribution now has a 1 round cooldown
• Retribution+ now has a 1 round cooldown
• Strategic Withdrawal now has a 1 round cooldown
• Strategic Withdrawal+ now has a 1 round cooldown

Runaway

• Run and Hide now grants 2 Stealth tokens instead of 1
• Run and Hide+ now grants 2 Stealth tokens instead of 1
• Run and Hide cooldown increased to 2 from 1
• Run and Hide+ cooldown increased to 2 from 1

HERO PATH CHANGES​

General

• Apprentice and Master Paths have been removed from the game

Grave Robber

• Deadeye: Ranged DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
• Deadeye: Melee DMG penalty reduced to -25% from -50%
• Nightsworn: HP penalty reduced to -20% from -25%
• Nightsworn: Lunge/Pirouette DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
• Venomdrop: Ranged DMG penalty reduced to -25% from -50%
• Venomdrop: Flashing Daggers Blight increased to 2 from 1
• Venomdrop: Flashing Daggers+ Blight increased to 4 from 2

Hellion

• Berserker: HP penalty reduced to -20% from -33%
• Berserker: Deathblow Resist bonus reduced from +20% to +10%
• Ravager: HP bonus reduced to +20% from +33%
• Ravager: Rank 1 DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
• Ravager: Turn Start Bleed effect can now be resisted

Highwayman

• Rogue: Rank 1 DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
• Rogue: Rank 3 DMG penalty reduced to -25% from -50%
• Sharpshot: Ranged DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
• Sharpshot: Melee DMG penalty reduced to -25% from -50%

Jester

• Soloist: DMG bonus reduced to +20% from +33%
• Soloist: HP penalty reduced to -20% from -33%
• Virtuoso: HP bonus reduced to +20% from +33%
• Virtuoso: Bleed/Blight/Burn RES penalty reduced to -20% from -33%

Leper

• Poet: Self-heal bonus reduced to +50% from +100%
• Poet: Stun/Move RES bonuses reduced to +50% from +100%
• Tempest: Chop DMG bonus reduced to +33% from +50%
• Tempest: HP penalty reduced to -25% from -33%

Man-at-Arms

• Vanguard: DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
• Vanguard: Burn/Blight/Bleed RES penalty reduced to -20% from -33%
• Bulwark: DMG penalty reduced to -25% from -50%
• Sergeant: DMG penalty reduced to -20% from -33%
  

Occultist

• Aspirant: Melee DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%
• Aspirant: Anamnesis DMG bonus reduced to +125% from +150%
• Warlock: HP penalty reduced to -20% from -33%
• Warlock: Ranged DMG bonus reduced to +25% from +50%

Plague Doctor

• Alchemist: Bleed/Blight/Burn RES bonus reduced to +20% from +33%
• Alchemist: HP penalty reduced to -20% from -33%
• Surgeon: HP bonus reduced to +25% from +33%
• Surgeon: Melee DMG bonus reduced to +50% from +100%

Runaway

• Arsonist: DMG penalty reduced to -25% from -33%
• Arsonist: Turn Start Burn DOT can now be resisted
• Survivor: Added a -20% penalty to Burn chance

MONSTERS​

Oblivion's Rampart

• Battles no longer roll for random battle modifiers
• Battles are now a single fight instead of 2 waves
• Region 1 is now a Cultist mash with a guaranteed Altar
• Region 2 is now either a Deacon or Cardinal mash with a guaranteed Altar
• Region 3 is now an Exemplar and an Altar

Mountain Fights

• Fights on the Mountain no longer roll for random battle modifiers
• Oblivion's Ingress 1 is now a random Deacon mash instead of an Exemplar
• Oblivion's Ingress 2 is now a random Cardinal mash instead of a Deacon + Cardinal

Cultists

• A number of mash arrangements and spawn rates have been adjusted
• Oblivion’s Rampart: added torch restoration to the loot so players won't get ambushed between Oblivion’s Rampart and Inn
• Altars can no longer spawn in region 1 outside of Oblivion's Rampart
• "Out of position" attacks (Brisk Bedevilment, Rush Judgement, Disharmony) have a slightly reduced chance of granting Worship
• Herald: First Trumpet damage reduced to 3-5 from 3-7
• Herald: Inversion self-move reduced to back 1 from back 2
• Herald: Clarion Call launch ranks changed to 3 4 from 1 2 3 4
• Herald: Clarion Call stress reduced to 2 from 2-3
• Herald: Clarion Call can no longer CRIT
• Herald: Harmonious End has been replaced with Disharmony, a front ranks attack
• Exemplar: Exultation CRIT rate reduced to 5% from 10%
• Exemplar: DMG range of Exultation reduced to 10-20 from 15-25
• Exemplar: DMG range of The Fall reduced to 10-16 from 10-20
• Exemplar: Stun RES reduced to 60% from 75%

Fanatics

• Her Ladyship: Combustion skill now correctly deals 200% of remaining Burn DOT on the target

The Shroud

• Fog stress chance reduced to 33% from 66%
• Fog Blind chance reduced to 75% from 100%

Fisherfolk

• Bosun: Heave Ho CRIT reduced to 10% from 15%
• Bosun: Heave Ho DMG reduced to 3-6 from 3-7
• Bosun: Spearfishing DMG reduced to 2-5 from 3-6
• Bosun: Sodden Rigging cooldown increased to 2 from 1
• Cabin Boy: Unstable Incubation now heals slightly less
• Cabin Boy: Spawning Grounds stress reduced to 2 from 3
• Captain: Fixed an issue where All Hands on Deck could target corpses
• Docker: Debuff RES reduced to 20% from 30%
• Docker: Make Way no longer has a 25% chance to deal an additional point of stress
• Docker: dramatically reduced the likelihood that he will use Make Way on his first action
• Fish Monger: Whetstone now has a 50% chance to grant Dodge or Dodge+ instead of 100% Dodge+
• The Hull Keeper: Heave Ho DMG range adjusted to 4-8 from 6-7
• The Hull Keeper: Sodden Rigging stress reduced to 1-2 from 2

Lost Battalion

• Bullseye Barrett's "Marked for Death" skill has been renamed to "Chosen Target"

BOSSES​

Fanatic Librarian

• Book Stacks now spawn in a varied range of conditions instead of all being full
• CRIT hits from any skill now apply Burn 3 to the target
• HP increased to 116 from 101
• Ignited Librarian's HP increased to 140 from 125
• SPD increased to 4 from 2
• Ignited Librarian's SPD increased to 6 from 4
• Burnout DMG increased to 4-8 from 2-4
• Burnout now applies Burn 2
• Mandatory Reading DMG increased to 4-8 from 3-6
• Mandatory Reading CRIT rate increased to 10% from 5%
• Mandatory Reading now deals 1 Stress damage guaranteed instead of a 50% chance
• Smokestack launch ranks changed to 2 3 4 from 3 4
• Smokestack target ranks changed to 1 2 3 4 from 3 4
• Smokestack no longer deals damage
• Smokestack now inflicts 1 Vulnerable in addition to existing effects
• Smokestack CRIT rate increased to 20% from 5%
• Categorize now ignores Dodge and Stealth
• Categorize can no longer unintentionally consume a CRIT token on the Librarian
• Burning Bright now ignores Stealth

Leviathan

• Eyes of the Storm now ignores Blind, Dodge, and Stealth
• Eyes of the Storm now targets only the 2 Heroes that will receive the Call of the Deep token instead of all Heroes
• Eye of the Storm now shares the same Ignores as Eyes of the Storm
• Fixed an issue where Eye of the Storm could consume a CRIT token on Leviathan unnecessarily

The Seething Sigh

• Fixed an issue where a Damaged Lung could be cleared by untargeted corpse clearing skills like Magnesium Rain
• Updated description of the Breath token for clarity
• Sundering Exhalation no longer occurs if there are no Breath tokens left at the end of the round
• Sundering Exhalation now deals increased stress damage; 2 for Shallow Breath, 3 for Deep Breath
• Damage required to break a Breath token has been reduced to 12 (front) and 9 (back) from 20 and 15
• Sundering Exhalation's single Breath token damage increased to 10-20 from 6-9
• Sundering Exhalation's double Breath token damage increased to 20-30 from 15-30
• Main body HP reduced to 280 from 350

ITEMS​

General Item Changes

• Stagecoach Upgrades have been renamed Stagecoach Equipment
• Item tags have been added to select items
• Combat items, Inn items, and Stagecoach Equipment tooltip color for item type has been updated to match the item frame
• "Caltrops" combat item has been renamed "Crow's Feet"
• Added signature inn items for each hero, after they have been fully upgrade on their altar tracks
• Several trinkets that modify healing received now only apply to healing effects from skills; Minor Bouncer's Belt, Bouncer's Belt, Greater Bouncer's Belt, Minor Heartseeker, Heartseeker, Snap Judgment, Dark Impulse (healing variation), Hags Hoard, Ghastly Gruel, Rat Skull, Foreclosure Notice

Stagecoach Equipment

• Tooltips for Stagecoach Equipment that produce items have been updated for consistency
• Tinker's Bench: Now produces Noisemaker and Pyrotechnic Dazzler
• Mortar and Pestle: No longer produces Nightshade Concoction
• Alchemical Gear: Now produces Chalk Dust and Nightshade Concoction. No longer produces Pyrotechnic Dazzler and Healing Salve
• Merchants Guild Seal: Now lists price reduction for Inn and Combat items instead of consumable items

Trinkets

• 1 new trinket has been added to each region (excluding The Sluice)
• Oblivion Rampart rewards now guarantee a Dark Impulse in the first region
• [COMM] Thrilling Tablet: Now sold by The Hoarder

REGION GENERATION CHANGES​

This is part of a larger effort to provide more texture to the expedition from Valley to Mountain. We will be monitoring feedback, so let us know how you feel!

Length Variation​

Now, region 1 (the first region past the Valley) will be a little shorter than standard regions, and region 3 (third region past the Valley) will be a bit longer than standard regions. Region 2 will be a "standard" region. (However, this “standard” has been slightly shortened in general.)

Despite Ordainment and some other behind-the-scenes mechanics (e.g. concentration of easier battles spawned in region 1; greater proportion of harder battles spawned in region 3) we still would like to explore ways to make the difficulty curve of the expedition less front-loaded. Slightly shortening the first region and lengthening the last region helps this, in addition to providing variety. Region 1 is crucial for early Candle-gathering for new players.

Related to the length tuning, we have also adjusted some location generation limits to provide additional texture:

• Watchtowers are not guaranteed to spawn in short regions
• Oases and Creature Dens are not guaranteed to spawn in any regions (the idea is to make them feel a little more special when they are present)
• Spawn rates of Academic's Studies increased some. Have fun hunting more Shamblers!
• Spawn rates of Cultist encounter locations increased some.

Region Variation​

We are also experimenting with making each region feel different in paths and contents.


THE SPRAWL:

• generally more location choices (2 to 3 per “row”)
• more Hoarders and Field Hospitals
• less Academic’s Caches
• no Oasis or Creature Den
• more Resist encounter fights than normal (slightly less Oblivion’s Ingress, Assists)

THE FOETOR:

• standard balance of location choices (varies 1 to 3 per row)
• less Field Hospitals
• more Academic’s Caches
• less Oases
• guaranteed Creature Den
• more Assist encounters than normal (slightly less Resists and Academic’s Studies)

THE TANGLE:

• standard balance of location choices
• less Watchtowers
• less Hoarders
• less Field Hospitals
• more Oases
• guaranteed Creature Den
• more Academic's Studies (slightly less Assists and Resists, standard Oblivion’s Ingress)

THE SHROUD:

• always 2 location choices per row
• guaranteed Watchtowers (lighthouses!)
• Guaranteed Oases
• standard mix of Assist, Resist, Oblivion’s Ingress, Academic’s Studies

THE SLUICE:

• always 1-2 location choices per row
• Increased region length by 1 row
• Cultist fights no longer guaranteed to happen
• New Location: Swine Caches! (helps ensure some good loot when going to the Sluice)

BATTLE LOOT AUDIT​

We did a full audit of all battle-based loot, as it had been a while and we wanted to strengthen the identity of various fights as well as make some adjustments based upon the recent community loot survey.

• MASTERY: In general, reduced Mastery rewards a little. We would like to achieve a balance where it's not guaranteed to have enough Mastery to upgrade all 5 assigned hero skills for all 4 heroes by the time you reach the Mountain
• FOOD: now food cannot be found in combats. Food should be searched for at Assist Encounters or purchased from stores
• ROAD COMBATS: Reduced road combat loot a little overall, but also strengthened the identity of loot between pillager, gaunt, and faction road combats. Improved loot from Anty-Q fights and Ghoul fights
• CULTIST AMBUSHES (0 torch or max loathing): removed all loot except torch restoration and loathing reduction. These are meant to be punitive fights and should be avoided at all costs. Not intended to be farmed for good loot.
• FACTION RESISTANCE ENCOUNTERS: added bonus treasure chance and increased SC upgrade chance a little. Reduced Mastery chance a bit, reduced Inn item chance.
• CULTIST OBLIVION'S INGRESS ENCOUNTERS: removed relics chance, but slightly increased trinket rewards
• SHAMBLER: increased Mastery rewards to 2 and added Otherworldly fragments as loot
• LAIR pre-wave fights: reduced combat item draw chance
• LAIR boss fights: added guaranteed combat item draw; added guaranteed rest item draw; added bonus treasure draw
• OBLIVION'S RAMPART: removed relics and food (Cultists don't collect these things) but increased other loot (guaranteed combat item and inn item, added SC upgrade chance and bonus treasure draw). Ensured torch is awarded so no more getting ambushed by more cultists between the Rampart and the Inn.
• CREATURE DEN: made combat item guaranteed; made rest item guaranteed; removed trinkets draw; slightly reduced Mastery chance; slightly increased SC upgrade chance

THE INFERNAL FLAME​

The Infernal Flame now awards scoring bonuses and is obtained differently. (Note: this is step 1 in a larger plan to add more optional difficulty modifiers later.)

• Unlock the Infernal Torch at the Altar of Hope (at the Intrepid Coast track)
• Once unlocked, the Infernal Torch will be awarded to you each time that you arrive at the Valley Inn.
• You may equip it to your stagecoach if you wish. This must be done at the Inn.
• With this item equipped, the Flame will be permanently set to 1 during your expedition.
• The Infernal Flame gives sizable scoring bonuses (bonus Candles) in most scoring categories.

MISC FIXES​

• Fixed an issue at The Academic's Study where Trinket reward glyphs were appearing on the enemy side during a choice.
• Creature Den: fixed an issue with a story choice implying that it would Blind enemies when it would actually Daze them
• Hero Shrine: fixed an issue where loading into the Jester's Violinist duel could cause the fight's steps to get out of order
• Tutorial edit: hero replacement tutorial clarified so player understands that multiple heroes can be replaced at any given Inn, as long as those heroes are unlocked on the player's profile
• Added new idle poses for all heroes for the crossroads and character sheets
• Added polish to various region environments assets and presentation
• Numerous text edits and typo fixes throughout
• Added missing disease bark strings
• Added barks for the new signature inn items
• Updated Coastal Lair environment art candle lights to all be teal instead of yellow
• Fixed an issue with "Kill" being appended to "Clear Corpse" text in some tool tips
• Fixed an issue where The Still Waters trophy wasn't available as a reward from The Shroud's Lair boss.
• Fixed an issue where baubles were being rewarded in road battles outside of their designated region.
• Fixes Riposte skill label coloring to represent if it's coming from a hero or enemy team
• Fixed an issue where buying out a shop row causes the ui to misbehave and has the entire stock jump down a row
• Fixed Windchime description to display its effect trigger as "Random Hero After Each Location" rather than "After Each Location".
• Fixed Coast road encounters to properly award COAST trinket loot, not CAVE trinket loot
• Fix to Valley Assist encounter torch restoration preview so it says +100
• Fixed item tooltip inconsistencies for text that was italicized when it shouldn't
• Fix to Jester Altar node that said "Health" and should have been "Sturdiness"
• Fix to damage not saving and max hp not being accurate when loading save
• Adjusted item quote styling and moved the position of flavor text to be after item tags on tooltips
• Fixed an issue where the hero portraits remained enabled after dismissing Oasis rewards window
• Brightness and Overall Lighting Adjustments: We were unhappy with the overall values appearing in screenshots and streams, and have adjusted lighting and tinting in every environment. This is an ongoing process
• Improved and added strings relating to the various save invalidation states to better describe why your save won't load.
• Updated various tutorials to now account for the gameplay changes introduced with M5 - The Altar of Hope update
• The Crossroads now has a tab to show quirks and resistances
• Brightness and Overall Lighting Adjustments: We were unhappy with the overall values appearing in screenshots and streams, and have adjusted lighting and tinting in every environment. This is an ongoing process
• Updated subtitle positioning

 

[Bigg Boss]

Is Celerity here still?

 

[luj1]

they are revolutionizing the medium with each new entry

this made me laugh

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Funny reading people criticizing red hook studios, the dudes made a game which created its own genre by having lots of clones.

bro...

Nigga probably has every other game on ignore too.

 

[1451]

Terrible update, everything is locked again and I have to unlock it again.
Extremely dumb idea about the candles needed for upgrades, I click on icons and I don't even understand what am I upgrading.
The tutorial obviously doesn't cover any of this since it remained the same for a year.
Having to read wikis just to understand how the game works is bad design.
Every update feels like a cock and balls torture session.

 

[HereticGuy]

Terrible update, everything is locked again and I have to unlock it again.
Extremely dumb idea about the candles needed for upgrades, I click on icons and I don't even understand what am I upgrading.
The tutorial obviously doesn't cover any of this since it remained the same for a year.
Having to read wikis just to understand how the game works is bad design.
Every update feels like a cock and balls torture session.

Chill bro, as you said :

they are revolutionizing the medium with each new entry.

 

[Infinitron]

Terrible update, everything is locked again and I have to unlock it again.
Extremely dumb idea about the candles needed for upgrades, I click on icons and I don't even understand what am I upgrading.
The tutorial obviously doesn't cover any of this since it remained the same for a year.
Having to read wikis just to understand how the game works is bad design.
Every update feels like a cock and balls torture session.

https://www.darkestdungeon.com/news/darkest-dungeon-ii-obsession-s-gaze-experimental/

Darkest Dungeon II: Obsession's Gaze - Experimental​

​

New Confession: Obsession​

Experimental build - 0.17.40018

A new Confession has been added, and with it, Ordainment modifiers, a new Mountain Boss and associated narrative content.


Hero Goals

• Each hero, when generated at the Crossroads, will have a personal goal.
• If you complete a hero’s goal, it awards candles at expedition end in value shown on the goal. The more difficult the goal, the better the candle reward.
• Candles gained from completing hero goals are kept even when the expedition is failed mid-region or abandoned!
• Initially, all of your heroes will generate very easy (“tutorial”) goals. As you complete goals, This will open up the standard pool of easy, medium, and hard goals.
• Goals persist for that expedition only. When a new expedition is started, new goals are generated.
• Tip: hero goals are very useful for farming candles

Region Variations

• Each region has been updated with enhanced visuals and a distinct sub-biome to enhance immersion and create more variety in your journey!
• The Sprawl: Keep a steady hand on the reins as you guide your coach through sewer sections clogged with offal and melted fat.
• The Tangle: Plunge down between the roots of the great trees - a suffocating respite from the rain.
• The Foetor: Withered fields and muddy road sections create a claustrophobic contrast to the open grazing lands.
• The Shroud: Small islets stacked with rotting coral break up your route over the unsteady piers.

GAMEPLAY​

Region Modifiers

• Added 10 new Region Modifiers
  • Strategic Plan: +33% Battle Advantage Chance
  • Heavy Winds: -20 Max Flame
  • Big Game: +100% Creature Den Scouting & +200% Creature Den chance

Heroes

• Non-damaging Bounty Hunter skills no longer count towards preventing stall penalties
• Relationship Act Out attacks will no longer consume Strength or CRIT tokens

Cultists

• Altars can now use the Altar of Obsession skill during the relevant Confession
• Altar: Altar of Denial can now grant up to 2 Stealth tokens instead of only 1
• Altar: Bone Weaving removes Blind tokens if the Confession is Obsession
• Cherub: Brisk Bedevilment now moves the Cherub back 1 rank, not 2
• Evangelist: Rush Judgement now moves the Evangelist forward 1 rank, not 2
• Reduced chance of "out of position" attacks generating Worship to 33% from 60%

The Shroud

• Heroes now have a low chance of healing 1 stress when the fog lifts

AUDIO​

• Added heaps, oodles, tons of new Academic lines to the game.
• Added spawning ground miss sfx, altar ui revisions

MISC FIXES​

• Some Stagecoach items were improperly categorized rarity-wise (which impacts draw chances and also prices) and/or had incorrect rarity border display. These have been corrected. Items affected: Super Storage Trunk, Medicine Chest, Medical Equipment, Iron Brazier, Academic's Map, Chirurgeon's Map, Leaf Suspension, Worktable Loom, Mortar and Pestle, Blueprint Tubes, Assay Gear, Icebox, Whiskey Still, Alchemical Gear, Windchimes
• Adjusted camera position for the Protege’s house and the confession screen at the start of a run
• Added a button to toggle the new Region Goals panel - G
• Fixed an issue with double-click looting breaking the UI
• Fix to health max buffs not working on invalidated but preserved memory heroes.
• Remove delay on banter effects to fix soft lock when hitting node mid banter, now the effects and barks will fire simultaneously, even if the bark is cut off when entering a node/combat/etc
• Fixed an issue where tutorial archives scrolls when selecting entries to view
• Various graphical issue fixes
• Fixed an issue where the path tab for heroes at the crossroads was disabled if they had memories
• Enabled the region goal panel to be accessible in the Sluice/Valley/Mountain
• Added candle reward tooltips on hero goal UI
• Fixed an issue with Hero ribbons swapping positions rapidly
• Increment the run survive count on memoried heroes in the party when invalidating saves mid run
• Removed the use of ‘99 tokens’ in tooltips and replaced with all or every given the context
• Fixes an issue in the inn where a hero would stop animating
• Fixes some Inn Item drag and drop issues
• Fixes mouse-over issues in the story screen
• Fixes for Riposte timelines stalling and softlocking the game
• Fixes inconsistent lighting in the Results screen
• Fixed Altar of hope watchtower speed buff showing up in a source tooltip
• Tooltip position cleanup
• Fixed an issue where dot tooltips appear empty initially
• Fixed an issue where Tooltips jump on initial open in mastery trainer
• Stagecoach max speeds and accelerations increased by 10% (except narration panel movement vars)
• Full stacked inventory items have a gold colored quantity label

 

[1451]

It's like I'm playing a live service game but this is single player.
A gazillion types of currencies, daily quests and so on.
I can like the overall direction of the game and at the same time criticize the updates I find bad.
I would not be playing for over 100 hours if I didn't like the game.
But having to unlock everything again is extremely frustrating.
They lied twice now.
The first lie was a year in early access, it will be longer.
The second lie was early adopters keeping their progress, another lie.
Who knows what else the future holds.