Stoneshard Update – Reworked Bastion & Ranged AI Tweaks

Earlier this month, this development update for Stoneshard talked about the new dungeon generation system coming to this turn-based RPG with its next early access update. Now, we also have this update that puts the spotlight on the game’s brigand hideouts and mentions some upcoming AI tweaks.

Here are the text bits:

Hello everyone!

In today’s devlog we’ll share more details on the dungeon rework and the Bastion (brigand dungeon) in particular. We’ll also touch upon some aspects of the reworked AI.

Of all the dungeon types, the Bastion received the largest amount of changes, allowing it to better match its name. The Bastion’s layout is dominated by spacious halls, complex structures, and wide corridors cluttered with junk.

There’re also some changes to hostage rescue contracts. Hostages can no longer be found in the same room as bosses, instead being held in a dedicated cell which needs to be located first. To open the cell you’ll need a special key, for which you’ll have to fight a dungeon’s boss.

Other than that, the Bastion now has more interactive elements: occasionally you’ll find water barrels, which can be used to refill your waterskin or quench thirst directly. You’ll also be able to raid a dungeon’s pantry and then cook looted meat and vegetables in its kitchen.

Regarding the AI, let’s start with archers – their behaviour was drastically reworked. They’ll try to stay as far from their target as possible during combat. Hiding behind a bush to lure them to a nearby tile is now a much less effective tactic, as they will attempt to keep their distance even while searching for targets outside of their Vision.

Archers will also try to maintain their distance when dealing with approaching enemies, performing a timely retreat when possible. If an enemy is right on top of them, or they run out of ammunition, they’ll draw a melee weapon and defend themselves with it.

Speaking about retreating – most enemies will try to run away if things turn sour. There are many conditions influencing their decision-making, but the most important one is low Health. Once enemies take enough punishment, they’ll begin accessing their situation on a per-turn basis. The amount of injuries and debuffs, their Energy, allies getting murdered and decapitated – all of it will decide whether your enemy will turn tail and run or fight till the bitter end. It’s also worth mentioning that strong and well-equipped foes are less likely to flee.

That’s all for now. A quick reminder – the update will be released in just 4 days, on September 24th. The remaining details on new content will be listed prior to the patch release.

Until next time!