It's been another month, and with my classes winding down I am once again making lots of progress on the next big update to VoltAge:Genesis! While I may continue to tweak the game a bit here and there, the completion of this update will mean the end of Nolan and Bridget's journey, and a shift over towards making the game available on Android and other platforms. Without further ado, here's the existing devlog notes for what's been added, taken away, or changed (this list is NOT final)!

Update – “Doorways” …Tentative Release Date April 5^th 2020!

• -NOTE: Players who previously completed the demo and chose to return to the mainland will be able to return to the point where the demo left off by speaking to the man next to the bus stop in Pedregal Springs.  
• -18 new quests
  • Advances existing storylines for Nolan, Carmen, Isaiah, and Nyla
  • Completes the “main” storyline
  • Introduces new quest type (see below)
    • Picking Up the Pieces (Nolan Storyline Quest)
    • A Pioneer’s Spirit (Carmen Storyline Quest
    • Training the Body (Isaiah Storyline Quest)
    • Profit Margins, pt. 3 (Nyla Storyline Quest)
    • The Battle for Oca Rongo (Freeform Quest)
    • The Lost Hunter (Freeform Quest)
    • Cold Snap (Bounty Quest)
    • The Blasted Throne (Bounty Quest)
    • The Sentinel (Eloin Quest)
    • The Flames of War (Eloin Quest)
    • The Touch of Winter (Eloin Quest)
    • The Warrior’s Challenge (Eloin Quest)
    • Tea with a Goddess (Eloin Quest)
    • The Demon of the Plains (Eloin Quest)
    • The Seed of Death (Eloin Quest)
    • Threads (Main Storyline Quest)
    • The Broken (Main Storyline Quest)
    • Supply and Demand XVIII (Item Gathering Quest)
  • Players will now be able to complete the optional storyline quest “Forging the Blade”
    
    
• -New Quest Type
  • Eloin Quests
    • With the final showdown drawing near, Nolan and Co. will need powerful allies to help them. Scattered across Marema are powerful Eloin who can be convinced to offer their assistance. There are currently nine (9) Eloin who can be tracked down, and depending on which path you have chosen some will join you freely, others will fight you, and some will give you quests to perform in exchange for their aid. These will be among the toughest quests in the game, but completing them will affect the ending!
      
      
• -New Areas Opened:
  • Party can now enter the Gibasca Caverns
    • Once the party has returned from Mateyo, the strong winds which prevented them from advancing will have abated. While the enemies in the cavern are of a level consistent with those outside, a powerful enemy is waiting in the depths of the cave (Boss Level 85). Be careful!
      
  • Party can now enter The Hive
    • Exterior area will be accessible from the start of the game; however, the enemies will likely be too strong for most parties the first time passing through this area. (Enemy Level 90)
      • Once the party has started the quest “The Blasted Throne”, they will be able to access the interior areas of The Hive.
  • Party can now enter Oca Rongo
    • Area will be accessible from the start of the game, and should provide a challenge for low level parties (Enemy Level 25).
      • A group of Scavvers are currently engaged in a turf war with the Deadhanders who control the area. The battle has dragged on for some time, with neither side able to gain the upper hand. If Nolan and Co. choose to offer their assistance, it could swing control of the town firmly into one group’s grasp.
  • Party can now enter the Pecasta Caverns.
    • Once the party obtains the “Sledgehammer” weapon, they will be able to clear the fallen rocks in the cave south of the Estancia Ruins.
  • Party can now enter Perdi Esper
    • Area will be accessible from the start of the game; however, the enemies will likely be too strong for most parties the first time passing through this area. (Enemy Level 45)
  • Party can now enter Soll Casteros
    • Once the party has recruited at least one Eloin to their cause, they will be able to unlock Soll Casteros by speaking to Bridget to begin the “Threads” quest.
      • NOTE: BEGINNING THE “THREADS” QUEST WILL PREVENT THE PLAYER FROM RECRUITING ADDITIONAL ELOIN! DO NOT BEGIN THIS QUEST UNTIL YOU HAVE GATHERED YOUR FORCES!
  • Party can now enter Tierra’s Pillar
    • Exterior area will be accessible from the start of the game; however, the enemies will likely be too strong for most parties the first time passing through this area. (Enemy Level 80)
      • Once the party has started the quest “The Seed of Death”, they will be able to access the interior areas of Tierra’s Pillar.
  • Party can now enter the Tocamllo Ruins
    
    
• -Changes to Existing Areas
  • Coastal areas have been expanded and are much more common.
  • Jellumaray (the small farming settlement overrun by Shamblers) can no longer be accessed until after the start of Nyla’s first quest.
    
    
• -Changes to Party Members
  • The following changes have been made to characters’ weapon selections:
    • Nolan can now use the “2-Handed Spears” category, which encompasses the following weapons:
      • Big Stick
      • Longspear
      • Ranseur
      • FPEW-Spear
      • Maul
      • Olyndicus
    • Bridget can now use the “Tapper Gloves” category, which encompasses the following weapons:
      • Homemade Tapper
      • Steel Tapper
      • Banded Tapper
      • Stone Tapper
      • Master’s Tapper
    • Allan can now use the “1-Handed Spears” category, which encompasses the following weapons:
      • The Shepherd
      • Cattle Prod
      • Shortspear
      • Treehugger Spear
      • Dory
      • Amarok’s Fang
      • Hunter Spear
      • Gae Bulg
      • Mystic Stick
    • Isaiah can now use the “Burst Rifles” category, which encompasses the following weapons:
      • Larrami SS50
      • H2 Burst Rifle
      • ISR “Hellfire”
      • Imperial SR-57
      • 109 Templar
    • Stark can now use the “Tapper Gloves” and “Thief Gloves” categories, which encompasses the following weapons:
      • Homemade Tapper
      • Rubber Glove
      • Steel Tapper
      • Modified Dastana
      • Banded Tapper
      • Thief’s Gloves
      • Stone Tapper
      • Sequined Glove
      • Master’s Tapper
      • Glove of Power
  • Stark can no longer use ANY weapons from the “Knuckles” category.
  • Corbett can no longer use ANY weapons from the “2-Handed Tools” category.
  • Allan’s passive ability “Savage Focus” has been tweaked
    • Allan now regains 2% of all physical damage dealt as AP (previously 3%)
  • The description for Nyla’s passive ability “Scavver’s Instinct” has been updated
  • Carmen’s passive ability “Sharp Eyes” has been tweaked
    • Her Hit Rate bonus remains the same (+10%), but is now multiplicative with the standard 95% bonus for all characters (previously, her “base Hit Rate” was 105%).
    • This should help address balancing issues when Carmen is equipped with an SMG or Burst Rifle.
  • Completing certain characters’ storylines will unlock additional passive skills.
    • If you have already completed all of the quests for the following party members, speaking to them again will unlock their new passive:
      • Carmen – “Shoot First” Chance of Preemptive Attacks increased when Carmen is in the active battle party.
      • Nyla – “Scavver’s Luck” Enemies’ item drop rates doubled when Nyla is in the active battle party.
        
        
• -Changes to Enemies
  • The following robotic enemies now drop a small number of Volts when defeated (exact amount dependent on level).
    • Experiment 415: 42 – 56 Volts
    • Experiment 452: 117 – 157 Volts
    • Hunter Drone: 128 – 213 Volts
    • Sentry Drone: 63 – 127 Volts
    • Scrap Drone: 15 – 46 Volts
    • Model-F Warbot: 490 Volts
    • Model-K Warbot: 167 Volts
    • Model-S Warbot: 158 Volts
    • Tank Drone: 1232 Volts
    • GudB0! (Unique): 148 Volts
    • JunkB0! (Unique): 53 Volts
    • G!@nTd@d (Unique): 1727 Volts
  • All “Sludge” type enemies have been tweaked
    • “Nucleus” drop rate doubled (from 12.5% to 25%)
    • Previously had 50% resistance to [Water] element attacks
    • Now effectively immune (99% resistance) to [Water] element attacks
    • This change affects Sludges, Barrel Sludges, and all “variants” of either type
      
      
• -Changes to BOSS Enemies
  • Scarred Antlion
    • EXP Value has been increased to 2291.
    • Effective level has been reduced by 5.
      
      
• -Changes to Weapons
  • All weapons have had their Agility cost tweaked
    • All weapon weights have been doubled
    • Weapons which have no weight will not gain an additional Agility penalty.
    • Weapons which would normally have weight but gain a faction bonus to Agility will carry a penalty equal to the standard weight for that weapon class.
    • This will (hopefully) address balancing issues between weapon types, and make fast enemies actually seem fast compared to the party at higher levels.
  • The FPEW-Fan no longer grants the skill “Nano Heal”
  • The following Sidearms are no longer compatible with Gun Mods:
    • Toy Gun
    • Harumaru
  • All SMGs have had their P. Attack reduced by 50% (rounded up).
    • This should help balance these weapons when compared to other sidearms and help bring them in line with their originally intended niche.
  • All Burst Rifles have had their P. Attack reduced by 50% (rounded up).
    • This should help balance these weapons when compared to other firearms and help bring them in line with their originally intended niche.
  • All Daggers now have a -4 Agility penalty
  • The Thief’s Glove now grants a 3% Agility bonus, instead of a flat +6 bonus
  • The following 2-Handed Tools have had their P. Attack increased by 25% (rounded down):
    • Shovel
    • Hooked Axe
    • Pickaxe
    • Sledgehammer
    • This will make the category more attractive compared to 1-Handed Tools, which allow for the use of a shield as well.
      
      
• -Changes to Armor
  • All armor has had its Agility cost tweaked
    • All armor Agility penalties have been doubled
    • All Shield Penalties have been increased by 50%
    • All armor (other than headwear) now has a minimum penalty of -1 Agility
      • Brand bonuses no longer cause headwear to increase Agility
    • This will (hopefully) address balancing issues between armor types, and make fast enemies actually seem fast compared to the party at higher levels.
  • The description for the “Sp. Forces Armor” has been changed.
  • Templar’s Grip has been tweaked
    • Now grants +20 M. Attack only
  • Marauder’s Grip has been tweaked
    • Now grants +20 M. Attack only
  • Outlaw’s Wrist has been tweaked
    • Now grants +20 M. Attack only
  • Berserker’s Wrist has been tweaked
    • Now grants +20 M. Attack only
  • Corsair’s Wrist has been tweaked
    • Now grants +20 M. Attack only
  • Obsidian Ring has been tweaked
    • Now grants +15 Attack, +5 M. Attack, +10 Defense, +5 M. Defense, and +15 Luck
  • Matla’s Vambrace has been tweaked
    • Now grants +22 Attack, +14 Defense, and +4 M. Defense
      
      
• -Changes to Shops + Items
  • Stores no longer sell “Repair Kits” of any rank.
  • Any store which previously sold “Repair Kits” now sells “Stealthgen” units of equal rank and cost.
    • “Stealthgen” units create a sensory distortion field which allows the user to avoid combat for a limited time. Higher ranks last longer, and operation time is based on how many steps the party has taken:
      • Homemade Stealthgen – 50 Steps
      • Standard Stealthgen – 100 Steps
      • Scavver Stealthgen – 150 Steps
      • Loican Stealthgen – 200 Steps
  • NEW MERCHANT
    • Old Fisherman (New Panavinto)
      • Now sells “Fish Charm” for 3000 Volts
  • SEVERAL MERCHANTS HAVE HAD THEIR STOCK UPDATED
    • Nathan’s inventory has been updated (certain locations only).
      • He has started carrying an assortment of charms for 2700 Volts each
    • Junk Merchant (New Panavinto)
      • Now sells the following junk in addition to buying items from the party:
        • Junk Drive – 120 Volts
        • Scrap Metal – 168 Volts
        • PreWar CPU – 618 Volts
        • Homemade Stealthgen – 250 Volts
        • Copper Bracelet – 1000 Volts
    • Mateyo Village (Crafthall)
      • No longer sells “Iron Armbands” for 1000 Volts
      • No longer sells “Emerald Bracelet” for 1000 Volts
      • No longer sells “Copper Bracelet” for 1000 Volts
      • Now sells “Clergyman’s Robe” for 2320 Volts
      • Now sells “Clergyman’s Hood” for 1520 Volts
      • Now sells “Snowflake Charm” for 3000 Volts
    • Mistral’s Alley (Acllapata Fortress)
      • No longer sells “RSP 92.100” for 1000 Volts
      • Now sells “Cloud Charm” for 3000 Volts
    • Scavver’s Truck (Trabunco Road East)
      • No longer sells “Noodles” for 100 Volts
      • No longer sells “Apple Cider” for 100 Volts
      • Now sells “Scavver Stealthgen” for 750 Volts
      • Now sells “Stone Charm” for 3000 Volts
  • All Elemental Charms have been tweaked.
    • Elemental resistance has been reduced from 50% to 25%.
    • Now grant access to the basic Kinesis ability for their element when equipped.
    • Descriptions have been updated.
      
      
• -Changes to Skills
  • AP Cost of many skills has been tweaked
  • Damage of many skills has been tweaked
  • Karmic Strike
    • Damage calculation has been tweaked again…now deals damage equal to [how much HP the user is missing] + [2x the user’s Luck stat].
    • No enemy defense applies to the damage for this ability, but it has a 20% variable rate of damage (If user is missing 1000 HP and has a 250 Luck, the attack will deal somewhere between 1000 and 1500 HP damage).
    • The attack no longer scores critical hits.
  • The “stacking” HP Regen effect for the following skills now works correctly:
    • Regenerate
    • Vivify
    • Glow Dust
      
      
• -General Changes / Bug Fixes
  • Critical Bug Fixed - Fixed a bug where the party would occasionally get stuck when beginning the “Icarus” quest, requiring a reset of the game.
  • New Environmental Hazard
    • Glowroot – Certain areas of The Deadlands are home to Glowroot, an underground fungus which absorbs radiation from its environment and concentrates it in spores which are released when the fungus is disturbed.
      • Walking through squares adjacent to Glowroot will temporarily cause “Nausea” in all party members who are not immune to the status.
  • New Overworld Encounters
    • Wanderers – Occasionally, the party will run into other people wandering the Mareman countryside. Some will have items for sale, others may be in need of help. Either way, track them down for rare and unusual rewards!
  • Fixed a bug where the player would be unable to tear down the bounty notice for Supply and Demand XV (Gathering Four Soul Lanterns for the Sleepy Man in Bradospa).
  • Carmen now gives the party three “Homemade Stealthgen” when beginning her first quest (A Mercenary’s Heart).
  • Mr. Atwood no longer seems not to know you under certain circumstances.
  • The player can no longer climb over the table or into the walls in the J. Green Dragon’s lair in Old Panavinto.
  • The player can no longer get onto the roof of the large building in Ensenada (North).
  • Gregory no longer blurts out minor spoilers if the party enters Rieldara Valley before going to Mateyo.
  • Pushed the “Distant Deadlands” starting area a little further east of Pedregal Springs so new players don’t get eaten (as often).
  • Increased traffic across much of the Deadlands has created more well-defined paths linking the sections of old road which still remain. In most parts of the country, enemies will not attack you on these natural trails. Notable exceptions include Steel Legion troops inside their territory, and the roads east of Pedregal Springs (which are still rarely travelled).
  • Upon returning from Mateyo, Gregory moves to Nolan and Bridget’s kitchen.
  • Matla now spends her time in Pedregal Springs at the old bus stop (instead of inside the abandoned parking garage).
  • Added more Hidden Camps to be discovered
    • Disciples’ Camp
      • When they aren’t dominating the Battler’s Dungeon with their squad of custom ‘bots, the Disciples of Poison can be found here.
    • Fisherman’s Retreat
      • An old, abandoned fisherman’s hut which can be found along a secluded bit of coastline.
    • FCP-Bravo
      • A military command post which has been exposed by the elements due to a recent sandstorm.
  • Added more locked containers for Stark to open
  • Added more locations to use your Shovel
  • Added more locations to use your Screwdriver
  • Added more locations to use your Hooked Axe
  • Added more locations to use your Machete
  • Added more locations to use your Pickaxe
  • New usable tools
    • Pipe Wrench
      • Can be used to loosen heavy bolts
      • Commonly used to disassemble old generators; yields Batteries
    • Sledgehammer
      • Can be used to destroy certain types of rocks
      • Commonly used to open new pathways
    • Crowbar
      • Can be used to force open certain doors
      • Commonly used to open new pathways