[2020] Patch Preview: Beta 0.8

 

Summary

This huge update includes new classes, new weapon and offhand types, dual wielding, and many improvements to existing aspects of the game. We can’t wait to share it with you!

 

Highlights

Classes

• The Rogue base class will now be available for all players.
• The Marksman class mastery will be available for all players.
• The Bladedancer class mastery will also be available for all players.

See our teaser trailer here, or a preview of some gameplay here.

 

Systems

• Dual wielding is here!
  • To learn more about our plans for dual wielding, please see this Developer Blog.

 

Skills

• The Rogue base class will launch with 9 skills, each of which has a specialization tree.
• The Bladedancer class mastery will launch with 4 skills, each with a specialization tree.
• The Marksman class mastery also launches with 4 skills, each with a specialization tree.

The Rogue class features new hybrid skills! Cinder Strike, Flurry, and Puncture adaptively change between melee attacks and bow attacks to suit your equipped weapon. (Technically, the basic Attack skill also utilizes this new functionality.)

 

Items

• New Weapon Type: Bows are being implemented!
  • New ranged weapons, bows allow those that wield them to strike from a distance.
  • We’re initially releasing 11 bases.
  • We’ve shown off some of the art for these items here.
• New Weapon Type: Patch 0.8 includes daggers!
  • Daggers are one-handed melee weapons that add to your critical strike chance with all skills. These new weapons are ideal for those seeking to hit their foes’ weakpoints.
  • We’re including 11 dagger bases in this update.
  • We’ve posted some dagger models in this thread.
• New Offhand Type: Quivers are included in this update.
  • No archer’s arsenal is complete without one!
  • There are 8 bases coming in Patch 0.8.
  • Some of the art for these can be seen here.
• Uniques: A number of new uniques are coming - including some Rogue-specific items.
• Item Sets: Introducing 1 new set named after Spymaster Zerrick. This new set focuses on melee & throwing attacks, and consists of a belt, a pair of gloves, and a pair of boots.

 

Level Design

• We are completely replacing the Temple of Eterra, and it is now one of the most visually impressive areas in the game.

 

Visuals

• Due to performance improvements, shadows are now shown at all setting configurations.

 

User Interface

• This update includes a wealth of improvements designed to further polish our UI assets.
• We are completely replacing the chat system.

 

Loot Filter

• We’re updating the Loot Filter to support bows, daggers, and quivers.

 

Optimization

• We’ve created new shaders for our shadows.
  • In our testing this has resulted in an improvement of ~ 6 FPS in most zones.
• Adding a new advanced graphics option to disable some shadows.
  • This setting is on by default. Turning it off boosts FPS by ~ 6 in most situations.

It was a bit of a typo, daggers are faster than axes. (edit: this might not even be totally true as one axe is quite fast)