With the Modstorm content update (v.0.9.9) we are starting Season 17 the (probably) last season before the 1.0 release of Striving for Light.

New Features:

Falcon Companion

The range companion (a relic from the past) has been completely redesigned. This skill has now been renamed to falcon companion and not only features a new design but also a complete improved range companion AI.

Epic Map Mods

11 new epic-quality map modifiers have been added to the Pathfinder system. These modifiers introduce unique mechanics to all elite enemies and bosses, greatly enhancing the diversity and challenge of these encounters. With these new modifiers, rerolling and optimizing maps before venturing into the darkness becomes more strategic than ever.

Lets take a look at what mechanics these new map mods will add to your foes:

Light Ray: Enemies summon rotating light beams around them. Enemy/Boss HP by +20%, Elite Enemy Spawn Rate by +20%

Granting: +25% EXP, 50% Map Shard Drop Rate

Arrowstorm: Enemies summon a storm of arrows. Enemy/Boss HP by +20%, Elite Enemy Spawn Rate by +20%

Granting: +25% EXP, +20% Legendary Drop Rate

Light Beam: Enemies target you by casting a light ray from the skies. Enemy/Boss HP by +20%, Elite Enemy Spawn Rate by +20%

Granting: +25% EXP, +20% Skill Shard Drop Rate

Epic Map Mods offer big rewards but come with even greater dangers by as well increasing the elite enemy spawn rate. Up to 3 Epic Map Mods can be active per map. Are you ready to face the challenge?

Chicken supply and demand

The giant chicken in town now adjusts the price for handing away their beloved skillgems dependend on supply and demand. Buying multiple skillgems at once will raise the price, coming back a while later will make the price drop again.

Sanguine Chest Improvements

Sanguine Chest Event now highlights circles to clearer communicate how the sanguine chest world event works

Remaingng Enemy Tooltips

Added new tooltip to the remaining enemy on map counter in the main user interface

Major Improvements and Changes

• Improved Range Companion AI: Range Companions now hunt down enemies while shooting that leads too improved shooting accuracy and less missed shots.
• Improved Audio: The mix and master chain for all sound effects have been reworked to improve sound effect dynamics and preventing sound effects sounding squashed when multiple effects have been played simultaneously.
• Music Fades for Dialog: Background Music now dynamically fades when playing dialog.
• Range constructs can now destroy interactable world objects by placing the construct on the object.
• Added crafting window tutorial message.
• Added echo fragment tutorial hint on game over screen.

Balancing

Projectile Multiplicator:

The skill has been completely reworked as the exponential increase of projectile not only leads to massive balancing issues (we do not want to balance the game around this, to keep as much build variety as possible) but also leads to performance issues sooner or later during a run. We have made an array of changes to compensate for this change and encourage everyone to try it out and share your experience with us after testing.

Projectile multiplicator has been renamed to Multishot. Each Multishot skill adds a projectile, dividing the 360° angle further with each use to cover more directions. So you will get one additional projectile with each Multishot, to compensate the additional energy cost have been reduced to 1 (was 2) and the -20% projectile damage got completely removed. Furthermore the spawn possibility of Multishot in the skilltree got increased by 300% to make this skill node show up as often as additional projectiles to give you more chances to increase your amount of projectiles.

Array of balancing changes to compensate for the projectile multiplier changes:

• Projectile Range/Speed: Increased Projectile Range +10% (was +20%)
• Increased Shot Angle: Angle between spawned projectiles increase has been lowered to 20° (was 30°), this skill now also increases projectile range by +20% (was not present on this skill node before)
• Increased Projectile Damage: Each skillnode now increased projectile damage by +60% (was +50% before)

Further Balancing Changes:

• Radiant Whisps: now follow player character and respawn, as compensation the total live time has been reduced to 16s (was 20s)
• Dark Wanderer Character: Melee Damage malus removed (was -30%), Projectile Damage malus removed (was -30%), No Max Health Malus (was -1), Energy/Endurance Regeneration malus removed (was -30%)
• Dark Wanderer Specialisation: Skeleton Spiders is now available directly at level 10. Rework of Dark Wanderer Specialisation now allows to use Golem, Harpies and Skeleton Spiders to bring mass companion fantasies to live.
• Dark Wanderer Golem Specialisation: Golem melee attack now scales with you melee damage and triggers all your melee attacks.
• Dark Wanderer Starting Melee Weapon Bone Breaker: Melee Base Damage increased to 8 (was 5)
• Noctelle: boss fight has been rebalanced to spawn slightly less projectiles.

Bugfixes

• Fixed a memory leak for damage numbers. This has led to degraded performance on longer playing sessions.
• Fixed a memory leak for condition damage. This has led to degraded performance on longer playing sessions.
• Fixed enemy counter on map being desync and preventing map clear achievements from triggering.
• Whisp skills for darokins specialisations have improved description.
• Added translation for min time display in rifts.
• Fixed map reset after completed rift.
• Fixed range construct not triggering when entering the game without switching weapon or switching to skilltree.

Thank you, everyone, for your immense support. Without you, the game would not be what it is today.

Like recently announced we are doing a price adjustment for the 1.0 release which will become active on the 18.2.25.

If you enjoy the game, leaving a Steam review is an incredible way to show your support and help us reach more players.

We truly appreciate each and every one of you!