We're back with Playtest Patch #3. First of all, apologies to those of you who have been experiencing the various cutscene errors and crashes. We've altered how the cutscenes function behind the scenes, and that should hopefully resolve most of the issues. We are still aware of a rare cutscene crash linked to the interface, but if you still experience regular, repeating crashes, be sure to let us know on the message boards!

Cutscene crashes and errors:

• The scripts which govern the cutscene system have been improved and future-proofed. This should reduce/eliminate the frequent crashes which have been happening during story events.

Investigators:

• The Scribe is now playable. *

• The Innkeeper's 'Lightning Strikes' passive is now working correctly.

* Note: He's still missing some of his unique abilities and traits.

Taunts, threat and tanking:

• Added functionality for taunt-style abilities and effects (taunts force the target, if controlled by AI, to attack the caster).

• Added some 'taunt logic' to AI. When deciding who to taunt, followers will prefer to cast it on targets who are attacking ranged or spellcaster allies.

• There's now a basic system in place for generating threat, a hidden resource which determines how enemies choose their targets.

• Melee attacks generate slightly more threat than ranged attacks and spells.

• Added functionality for dropping/reducing one's threat, as well as threat multipliers through gear or status effects.

• Evasion Abilities (see below) will usually reduce a character's threat when used.

Party screen and character creation:

• Characters can now learn abilities and bring them into a new game. Note that a large number of abilities haven't been implemented yet.

• Abilities you can't learn now perform an error 'rattle' and sound effect when clicked.

• Clicking the talent text in the bottom-right window now opens the talents tab.

Abilities:

• The game's various ability menus now function correctly. Abilities can be found in the Abilities tab \[default key: N] and dragged to the hotbar. To avoid confusion, switching to a different character's ability list will also switch the player to control of that character.

• Namshub: Flame, Frost and Shadow have new icons.

• Namshub: Flame now applies a damage over time effect.

• New ability: Namshub: Frost.

• New ability: Namshub: Shadow.

• New ability: Shadow Missiles.

• New ability: Taunt.

• New ability: Restore.

• New ability: Backstab (Passive).

• New ability: Mark Target (Trapper exclusive).

• New ability: Pummel (Innkeeper exclusive).

• We've added a simple 'ability priority' system which should help the AI make more intelligent decisions about which spells and abilities to use and when. As before, investigators controlled by AI will only use abilities and items which are bound to their hotbar.

• In addition to these changes, we've standardised a vast number of systems governing ability creation, learning and use. This means that adding new spells and abilities moving forward should be simpler and quicker.

Evasion abilities:

• Each investigator now has an Evasion Ability (with the exception of the Moose). Activate to perform an evasive manoeuvre (dash, roll, etc) and gain massive evasion from direct attacks (100% chance to evade) for 2 seconds.

• The Innkeeper and Gentleman's evasion ability, Dash, is now working as intended.

• New evasion ability: Strafe (Bard, PI).

• New evasion ability: Shuffle (Scribe, Curator).

• New evasion ability: Leap (Trapper). Note that the 'leap' effect (forced jump) isn't in yet.

Status effects:

• New particle system for status effects! Multiple buffs and debuffs can now be visible on a target (burning, bleeding, etc) at once.

• New status effect: Burning.

• New status effect: Chilled.

• New status effect: Restore.

• New status effect: Hunter's Mark (Mark Target).

Story:

• Added some additional dialogue when asking Shelby for directions in the sewers.

Combat:

• Players can now target allies.

• Added extra colors to the scrolling damage numbers to reflect the different elemental damage types.

Balance:

• Blocked damage will no longer reduce a character's health below 1.

• Added some initial recoil when aiming firearms to counter 'snap-firing'.

• Slightly increased the maximum health of all enemies.

UI:

• The Ability menu has been moved out of the character pane and now has its own window (shortcut: N).

• The character portraits have been given another pass and a minor style update.

• New UI elements for targeting allies (green health bars, etc).

• Status effects now tell you how many seconds are remaining on them when you mouseover their icon.

• Abilities tell you how long is left on the cooldown when mouse-overed (if applicable).

Misc:

• New SFX: Frost spell casting and successful cast sounds.

• New SFX: Water spell casting and successful cast sounds.

• New SFX: Shadow spell casting and successful cast sounds.

• New SFX: Namshub: Frost hit.

• New SFX: Namshub: Shadow hit.

• New SFX: Mark Target.

• New SFX: Restore (Ability) heal sound.

• Scrolling combat text is shorter and current tense (changed 'missed' to 'miss', 'evaded' to 'evade', etc).

• Added new sound code to handle spells and spell casting.

Optimization, bugfixes and crashes:

• Fixed a dialogue crash when talking to Shelby inside the sewers 'blockage' encounter room.

• Removed some instances of outdated item drops which were causing errors/crashes.

• Fixed an issue which caused characters to snap to the nearest ground tile mid-jump.

• Fixed an animation error which caused characters to fall over.

• Fixed some minor thrown and firearm animation errors.

• Fixed a rare firearm crash (evade skill check).

• Fixed an error with the reporting of scrolling damage and healing numbers.

• Fixed an error in the sound code which was preventing environmental sounds (ocean, rain, etc) looping correctly.

• Fixed a rare targeting error which occurred when running multiples of the same investigator.