Pathway - Update 1.1 Details

A new update for Pathway is coming October 9th that promises reworked skill trees, new artifacts and more customisable options.

Devlog #17 - Adventurers Wanted Coming October 9!

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We're excited to announce that the 1.1 update to Pathway titled Adventurers Wanted is coming out October 9!

Whilst we're busy getting everything finalized we want to share some more details about the update. In our previous devlog we already talked about the new abilities, Chinese & Japanese translations and the new content. Today we want to expand on a few more changes that are part of the Adventurers Wanted Update:

Reworked Skill Trees

With the addition of the new abilities we've also reworked the skill trees of all characters. Each character now begins with an additional ability specific to them. Natalya for example begins with the "Bait" ability, whilst Brunhilda starts out with "Sucker Punch". As they level-up they can unlock two more abilities.

We feel these changes really help in making the character roster feel more varied. Each character now has their own combination of up to 3 special abilities which opens up a range of new tactical options. It gets even more interesting when trying them out in various team configurations.

New euippable item: Artifacts

With 1.1 we're introducing a new type of equippable items: Artifacts. They're unique (and very rare) items that can only be found once per profile. Artifacts can be placed in a character's off-hand equipment slot. Some of them yield stat boosts or open up event options whilst others may even unlock new abilities.

It's worth noting that Artifacts can be used by all characters and don't require a skill to use.

More Difficulty Customization Options

We've completely reworked the difficulty customization options in the game. You are now able to adjust the enemy difficulty and the size of combat groups independently.

Whilst larger combat groups do increase the difficulty slightly, it mostly presents the player with a more involved combat experience. So if you enjoy longer and more involved combat sessions crank this setting up. On the other hand if you like easy and quick combat you can lower this setting.

The difficulty slider really pushes the overall power of enemies up. In practice it means you can play the earlier adventures at the difficulty of later adventures and push the later adventures even higher. If you increase the difficulty of the adventure, you are also going to find better loot. Additionally, each difficulty level presents the adventure in a new daytime setting.

We are really excited to get this update into everyone's hands!

Oh and if you live near London come say hi to us at the EGX. We will be showing the new update between 17th and 19th of October at the Chucklefish stand! (More details and tickets here: https://www.egx.net/egx)

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More information.

I really really don't get the allure of shit graphic games in this century. I must be in the minority though because somebody keeps buying these.

For me at least, how a game looks is negligible compared to how it plays and the story involved. Through in a decent combat system with character progression and that's pretty much all I need to be a happy clam.

Pathway and "shit graphics"? What? It has some super gorgeous pixel art; and their dynamic shadows took years to create. Maybe you're just talking about "taste"?

crpgnut said:

I really really don't get the allure of shit graphic games in this century. I must be in the minority though because somebody keeps buying these.

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I really really don't get the allure of shit gameplay in open world games in this century. I must be in the minority though because somebody keeps buying these.

crpgnut said:

I really really don't get the allure of shit graphic games in this century. I must be in the minority though because somebody keeps buying these.

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They can turn out to be way better than the Glorious Next-NextGen graphics games of today. But I'm staring surprised at their All Reviews: Mixed (708) rating.

Jesus, I hope we don't FCK it up like them!

The graphics are not Pathways problem. It is just too shallow and unfun.

I found it fun, good combats, good diversity, good roster approach.

In my opinion what doesn't work well:
- Permanent unlock and roster/equipment improving compared to difficulty settings (or scaling). The more you play the more it becomes easy, too easy then less interesting. I had to start a fresh new profile at hardest difficulty to continue the experience (after a first win of all adventures). it's a clear attempt to merge Diablo elements to a Tactical Shooter, but this aspect isn't working well.
- Some heroes unlock are just pain tedious and too long, you'll finish all adventures before unlock them.
- The adventure layout is too light and too gentle, let give up for free when out of oil is a bad design idea, give up should involve a penalty to adventurers next adventure ans worse if no more oil, there isn't enough tools to manage the RNG, there isn't enough parameters, more.
- The game would need more difficulty/challenge options, and more difficulty levels.

For combats, I'll try list some aspect you could have ignore by rushing the game or giving up too soon:
- Sneaky progression, it's only possible in some combats or contexts, and it is based on not be seen by any enemy. It's still refreshing to discover sneaky really working in such combat system and without being OP, even if only in some combats.
- Aggro system, it's not one of those mechanical MMO aggro system that becomes only a too easy tool too basic and too repetitive. I honestly didn't analyze it enough deeply to describe it fully, but that's how aggro is fun when it has complexity elements to allow exploit it. I quoted one more obvious case but with fun exploits, it's dogs. And it's even more funny to exploit in some maps with more walls that dogs can't jump.
- A very good LOS and FOW system, and detection from enemy system.
- Zero timers which is in fact a rarity for tactical games, even more one with shooting and overwatch (smartly limited).

Otherwise for the quote, the game is less basic than it seems, check the number of mechanisms used:
- Cover/Half Cover/Full obstacle/Side step shoot/Range/Hit chance/Line of sight/Fog of war/HP/Armour/Evade/AOE/Critical/Double shots/Grenade/Heal kit/Armour repair kit/Overwatch for Sniper/Sprint/Crouch/Trench/Bleeding/Sticky/Armour piercing/Barrels exploding, ammo management (but one type and global for roster).
- Damages types with different efficiencies against HP and armour.
- Pistols/Shotguns/Assault Rifles/Sniper Rifles/Energy Weapons/Blade Weapons.
- Weapons varying from classic parameters range/clip size/precision/special attack/damages type/for some an attribute penalty.

Some aspects are less usual:
- Bravery point system, special actions use 1 or 2 points, and they are restored from other actions or events like kill an enemy or evade an attack. It's a great system, that avoid abuses and add some tactical value with the Bravery points management.
- Special actions are linked to armour, weapons and items equipped.

Overall combats are a lot superior to those of dev prev game, Halfway, and with a much better tactical value than most turn based RPG. Ok it's no JA2 but since when there's been a new JA2? Never, and in my opinion for good reasons, but that's another topic.

crpgnut said:

I really really don't get the allure of shit GAMEPLAY games in this century. I must be in the minority though because somebody keeps buying these.

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… fixed it for you ;-)

Just for information, I did a very quick try of the new version, it's a totally different game, huge gameplay changes. I wasn't ready for that, so kept it for later as a new game to play.

Good or bad changes ?

Dasale said:

Just for information, I did a very quick try of the new version, it's a totally different game, huge gameplay changes. I wasn't ready for that, so kept it for later as a new game to play.

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you said:

Good or bad changes ?

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Mmm for now players feedback is only good.

For me, I realized I was a lot in auto play mode, and it took me some time to go over it and admit I had to re learn how play it.

But I finally did a play session that lead me at end of first adventure first part. It's still a very incomplete point of view with only 3 characters level 2, some combats and some events.

What I quoted:
- I think most changes are for increasing complexity or at least appearance of complexity, new special skills and most involve new mechanisms like lure/stealth/slow/more, more balance between skills (for example bye to an easy pistol double shot that now requires two targets), different armor system, more event types, resources added to global management, new combats modes add different problems,
- Some changes are to increase amount or diversity, more events and events types, combats modes, new management element resources, new items types with artifacts, more.
- There's more difficulty settings, but one of them is locked for an adventure until you finished it once. Moreover I didn't bother use those available after a quick try and picked default for now.
- I think that now it's less about getting hit very few, resources on global management seems allow compensate more damages received, not sure yet.

So it's probably a much better game, but I haven't play it yet to really answer, I'm still under some regret of elements that seem have disappeared. Moreover the difficulty options is in my opinion a major aspect and I didn't play around it. But don't hope the game became a FTL on events and management aspects, and don't hope the turn based tactical diablo like aspect is suddenly really working, it can't until they add campaign and new game+ aspects, but it will never be at reach of dev and budget level.

I checked this out finally. GUI has be the best art direction, but the font size is FCKD UP. Gameplay is horrible. Music is nothing to remember. Story writing is FCKG BORING. Battlescape combat and graphics is below mediocre. Probably the portraits and gun images are best in this "game". This proves that hungry gamers will eat anything, like starved pigs, if you throw junk at them, like Pathway.
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