Righto! Following last week’s enthusiastic balance tweaking session, we’ve been inundated with new commentary from Around The Internet regarding all the changes and special stuff that’s happened. We won’t be making any more radical tweaks just yet — we’re still gathering feedback on some evolving tactics — but we have been working on some new systems (including a reworked pathing algorithm, so there’s hopefully no more weird blood pool avoidance issues).

On the player end, perhaps our most noticeable change this week is the revamped church (not THAT type of vamp, mind you, although the game’s resident playable bloodsucker has gone through some changes of its own). Once per dungeon run, your god of choice can be deliberately selected to appear — though usually at a cost of more than just gold. If you’re willing to take the hit and absolutely, positively HAVE to do your run with one particular god and no other, we’ve given you a chance. Sorta.

Of course, there’s an extra reward available if you decide you’d rather play adaptively instead. Maybe it would be better to unlock those other gods after all? …

Aside from the new god preps, this week has some tweaks and balances in the, er, BLOODIER parts of gameplay. And we now have an official “in-house” artist moving in with us. Yay! Changelog here:

Fixes:

• Reworked pathing system – blood avoidance should be more stable.
• Fixed rare case of poison not being removed from enemies properly.
• Church preparations changed to altar summons.
• Binlor doesn’t penalise post-10 levelups
• Glowing Guardian mana burn exploit fixed
• Player lifesteal is now a per-level effect
• Dracul and Vampires adjusted around new lifesteal lifestyle
• Bloodmage potion effect fixed
• Gorgon description fixed
• Grove of Knowledge charges players properly
• Bazaar shop number description fixed.
• Artist added to QCF office, currently sleeps on floor