Greetings, Descendants! This is The First Descendant Dev team.

 

We were a bit worried with the previous Dev Note vol. 7, having the thought that we might have covered too much ground in our attempt to go over everything we were working on instead of going into the details of each topic. It was a relief, though, to see through the community's reaction that many of our Descendants could see the big picture of the direction the development is going.

 

So, while we painted a broad picture last time, we'd like to delve more into several topics in detail from now on, depending on development progress. In this Dev Note, we'll tackle one of the most hotly debated topics among the development team since the last Crossplay Open Beta Test: Field enhancements.

 

Surveys conducted with our testers and their ratings show that we've made significant improvements to The First Descendant, but we've also heard a lot of frustration with the fields. The Dev team agreed, and we've been working together to improve field play as much as possible before the launch, and then continue to update and improve while the game is in service.

 

The first step in enhancing field play was identifying the problems. This conversation created a lot of ideas, but it was critical to determine what the main issues were and what solutions would make sense for the game. After some debate, the Dev team identified the main issues as "inconvenient co-op play" and "empty fields."

 

Co-op Play Improvements

First, let's discuss co-op. In The First Descendant, a single field is relatively big. However, with only four players entering this vast field, limited means to assist with co-op, and the frequency of players engaging in missions, seamless co-op play was uneasy to achieve. During our conversations, we contemplated about increasing the number of participants per session, but we decided to put that on hold for the time being, given the path The First Descendant is taking and the comfortable play experience we want to provide. So, for the launch version, the Dev team chose to shift the scale of a session to a zone within the field (known as Battlefield) rather than a wide field, and we're working on stimulating four-player co-op on a Battlefield-by-Battlefield basis.

 

*All images are Work In Progress

[Battlefield Map Image]

 

We've focused on making co-op play to be more fluent by improving our session matching rules, introducing the option to request support during missions, and more. We'll talk more about usability enhancements later in this note.

 

Field Content Enrichment

Next, let's explore the enrichments to field play. During the last Crossplay Open Beta Test, one of the most common feedback we heard about the fields was that they were too static and there wasn't any content to play unless you had a mission. This wasn't our initial intention, and we've been reviewing the "empty fields" in two ways: adding and improving missions and adding more field content. We'll talk more about the improvements to missions another time, but today we'll focus on the new field content.

 

New Content: Encrypted Vault

Currently, the Dev team is focusing on adding combat and out of combat content to the fields, with the latter dubbed "Encrypted Vault". These vaults are strewn around the field, carrying information and resources that the Magisters have hidden away. Descendants will be able to locate and decrypt them using a simple minigame to gain rewards. As out of combat content, it will be a welcome change of pace in between playing the fields.

 

[Encrypted Vault]

 

[Encrypted Vault (Minigame)]

 

New Content: Void Fragment and Void Fusion Reactor

Fields include items known as Void Fragments. The Void Fragment can only be destroyed by an attack of a matching attribute, and when destroyed, an item known as a Void Shard can be obtained. When you acquire Void Shards and put them in a so called Void Fusion Reactor, a secret monster known as a Vulgus Commander is summoned. Defeating the summoned Commander will yield a reward, making this an additional piece of content that can be replayed alongside the field missions.

 

[Void Fusion Reactor]

 

New Content: Vulgus Recon Outpost

In addition, the fields are now littered with Vulgus outposts from the invasion of Ingris. Karel's instructions to find the Ironheart prompted the establishment of recon outposts throughout the field. These outposts are scattered around the area and vary in size depending on importance. Scouts monitor the field, beginning with the smallest outposts. Players will frequently encounter and go into battle with them as they explore the fields.

 

The large outposts house massive power units to investigate the Ironheart and transmit battle data back to their base. Because of their significance, they are guarded by Vulgus garrisons. When a Descendant discovers an outpost, they are automatically assigned the mission to destroy it. Your objective is to eliminate the Vulgus stationed there and destroy the outpost, dealing a blow to Karel and the Vulgus Legion.

 

[Vulgus Large Recon Outpost]

 

New Content: Records

Next, as you explore the fields, you'll discover various records. These are devices that contain hidden stories that shed light on the worldview surrounding the continent of Ingris. They can be obtained from various objects in the fields as well as through different in-game activities such as quest completion, and they are saved via the UI.

 

[Records]

 

Adding Field Difficulty and Usability Features

 

As we mentioned previously in the Dev Notes, once you've completed the Normal difficulty, you'll be able to switch to Hard, which will be quite the challenge. The new dungeons will also be available in Normal and Hard difficulty, which we'll go over in greater detail later.

 

The Hard difficulty, in particular, features a drop rotation system. Each Battlefield includes a drop mechanism that changes on a regular basis, allowing players to identify and play in Battlefields that drop items they might need. The drop rotation information will be detailed in the UI to ensure seamless gameplay and enjoyable item farming.

 

[Field Difficulty System]

 

[Hard Difficulty Drop Rotation System]

 

In addition to the ability to submit support requests to other players during missions, we're implementing a few more changes to make field play more fun. First of all, you can now change Descendants in non-Albion field camps, and we've also created new waypoints outside of regular camps to help replay missions much easier.

 

[Request Support System]

 

Wrapping Up

Today, we've elaborated on everything we can about what's coming to the fields in the future, and while there's obviously a limit to how much we can explain in words and pictures, the team is anxious to share as much as possible in one form or another.

 

We'll talk more about areas that require additional work, such as mission enhancements, next time, and we'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts so we can continue the conversation in future Dev Notes.

 

We eagerly welcome your ongoing interest and feedback on The First Descendant, and finally, we'd like to end this Dev note by sharing the full field map of the launch version we're now working on.

 

Thank you.

 

[Launch Version Field]