Greetings, friends!

Time to share the next update to Swordhaven.

While last time we focused mainly on new and updated mechanics, this time the effort was directed towards adding fresh touches to the city of Swordhaven itself, as well as enhancing the diversity of the surrounding world.
Another aspect we focused on was continuing the previously existing questlines. Of course, there were numerous bug fixes that we managed to implement thanks to your incredible reporting.
The game was also optimised, certain weapons and armour were rebalanced, and new features were added.

First of all, the crown jewel of Nova Drakonia received the following:
- New interiors were added. Characters have also been added to previously existing interiors, some connected with little side-quests, for example check the Armour and Weapon stores;
- Another important interior now populated is the bookstore, meaning you can finally purchase all manner of crafting manuals, complete a quest from the first village, and discover a secret that... Well, the less we say, the better;
- Generally, the world has over a dozen new notes, books, and manuals. You can explore and read them for flavour, as well as to gather hints about what's to come;
- New interiors have also been added to the Docks and Slums, not all of them lived in, but still filled with loot;
- Lady Korryne, previously encountered in the final stages of the sprawling volcano dungeon, can now be found at her own mansion. Be sure to check out the related quest she offers, as it leads into a new dungeon;
- The Bandit background now also boasts a unique dungeon, complete with a related quest, puzzles, and a boss!

Now let's talk about the changes to the world:
- New biomes have been added, including jungles and savannahs. All of them have their own maps, filled with new types of random encounters that are more challenging, and feature monsters specifically designed to inhabit these areas;
- Three new hunting text-based minigames were also added to these new biomes. Search the jungles for rare alchemical ingredients and more. Hunt-related megabosses are soon to follow;
- Swordhaven sewers were revamped and we are starting to populate it with characters, as well as related quests;
- Without spoiling much, you can now also face... THE KRAKEN!

Finally, the technical and mechanical improvements:
- While this is still a work in progress, all Jackets now contribute to the wearer's Health pool, distinguishing them from Armours, which generally add Damage Threshold, and make light-on-their-feet stealthy builds much more viable than before;
- There were some difficulty tweaks made: harder monsters received a slight nerf, while their more pathetic brethren were given sharper fangs and claws. Hopefully, this update will provide a more balanced experience;
- Gamepad functionality was updated with an improved UX and fixes to certain control mechanics like full party control;
- Ragdoll-related issues were fixed, which includes Snapper death poses, some enemies falling through the ground, and other related glitches;
- Combat freezing glitch was eradicated as well;
- Unique soundscapes were provided for all new locations and interiors;
- It is now possible to view location names by hovering over the locations;
- New tutorials have been added at the beginning of the game, making the start more user-friendly;
- New player portraits have been added;
- Numerous player-reported bugs have also been fixed. We owe you one!

We've also used our time to begin work on some of the end-game locations we'll showcase in future patches, including a multi-level Balta Ore Mines dungeon.
A new character background is in the pipeline, and they will also receive a unique dungeon with a boss, complete with a tragic backstory.

There is much more to come, and we hope that you will enjoy this new step towards letting our Early Access title take shape and resemble the awaited release version more fully.

Please stay tuned, and be sure to leave your feedback in the comments or over on Discord!

Yours,
Atom Team