Just wanted to give you guys a quick update on the new weapon and shield crafting system:

A few weeks ago Hugin got me the assets for the new weapons and shields and I have been implemented the new crafting systems as well as the new melee combat system. The new crafting system will work similar to the wand crafting system where each item will take two to four components to craft:

Weapons:
1. Handle
2. Blade
3. Enchantment (Optional)
4. Gem (Optional)

Shields:
1. Surface
2. Boss
3. Enchantment (Optional)
4. Gem (Optional)

Like with the wand crafting system the various components will contribute different things to the resulting item. For example, the handle type will determine whether the weapon is one-handed or two-handed and the blade will determine the types of attacks the weapon has. The new system will have combo attacks, charged attacks, blocking, parrying, and other new features.

We're still in the early stages of getting the new systems up and running but we hope to have more news to share with you soon!

-Added gamma adjustment menu option and console command (/GAMMA)
-Fixed recoil and spread issue when firing two wands at the same time
-Removed debug dungeon generation error messages
-Fixed bug where dungeon level counter was not being reset after leaving dungeon

The beta branch is now live!

New Hub Zone and Dungeons

With this update comes a new zone: "The Humble Anchorage."

The Humble Anchorage is a hub zone added to the Reforged realm and is now the default starting zone for that realm. This zone also provides access to two new dungeons, "The Library" and "The Crypt." The Library is accessible through the temple in The Humble Anchorage, whereas The Crypt is reached after battling through the first three levels of The Library. The new zones will also serve as a proving ground for many of the new systems and changes we have planned.

The Grinning Boar can still be accessed as its own separate realm. Over time we are going to integrate the old zones around the Grinning Boar into the new system and make them accessible from The Humble Anchorage. Some zones will be fixed whereas others will be updated to use the new dynamic dungeon generator, which will also include exterior zones.

New Character Models

The new human character models are now available in the primary app branch. There are unique male and female models, each with many different attributes you can change. Each class has their own unique outfit. In future updates we will allow players to mix and match outfit pieces, as well as have cosmetic item drops available in the game.

When you create a new character the customization screen will appear. Alternatively if you would like to customize the appearance of existing characters you can use the console command /APP to change your appearance at any time. In the future some of this functionality will be limited so make sure you make your changes now.

Also many NPCs in the game have been updated to use the new models.

-New hub zone "The Humble Anchorage"
-Two new dungeons "The Library" and "The Crypt"
-Added a one frame recoil delay when firing two weapons at the same time
-Increased the movement speed of out of combat player minions
-Expanded the browse window in the forge
-Added support for more custom materials and colorization to the forge
-Fullscreen Windowed Borderless now uses the default MonoGame implementation
-The buttons on the minimap are now functional

-Fixed bug where browsing for lobbies caused a hang when the ding sound effect played
-Fixed bug with visible tearing in Reforged terrain
-Fixed bug where lobby was limited to 7 players instead of 8
-Fixed bug where battle portal was missing from mob database
-Maximum lobby members can be changed in Settings.xml file from 2 to 12 (default 8)

-Sir Nigel Gresley is back to his old self again
-Fixed bug where fog wasn't being applied to some mobs
-Fixed bug with classic terrain point light blending
-Enemy Shamans now summon full sized skeletons

-The skeletons now use the new model system
-Improved the baked point light rendering system
-Fixed bug where face would not update on main hub screen when first starting

-Dwarves now use the new models
-The "Sprouting" wand effect will no longer damage the player
-Fixed bug where Oracles could slap their targets into the air from too far away
-Fixed crash bug in the forge when changing prop insets

Update v1.4.4:
-Fixed bug where face wouldn't update when game was paused

Update v1.4.5
-Added anvil to the basement of the Grinning Boar
-Made arcane bolt projectiles more similar to the wand projectiles

The new character models are here!

The new human character models are now available in the beta branch. There are unique male and female models, each with many different attributes you can change. Each class has their own unique outfit. In future updates we will allow players to mix and match outfit pieces, as well as have cosmetic item drops available in the game.

When you create a new character the customization screen will appear. Alternatively if you would like to customize the appearance of existing characters you can use the console command /APP to change your appearance at any time. In the future some of this functionality will be limited so make sure you make your changes now.

Also many NPCs in the game have been updated to use the new models.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

Note: Characters saved with this update will not be openable in older versions of the game so you may want to make backups of your saves.

Update v1.4.1
-Fixed multiplayer crash bug

Update v1.4.2
-Moved face generation to background thread
-Fixed bug where "first person arms" would show up in appearance panel