Alpha 0.4

Development on Heartfall continues following the Alpha 0.4 update. This update focuses on expanding the world, introducing new gameplay systems, improving performance, and stabilizing core mechanics.

World Changes

Large parts of the world have been expanded and improved, adding more depth and exploration opportunities.

Main changes include:

New hidden valley area between the mountains Large forest biome added Magician NPC now located in this area Improved terrain shaping and environmental composition Ocean color transition system near corrupted island (currently not working correctly)

New Additions

Magician Interaction System Press 2 to access potions and effects

Potion System added (Scriptable Objects) Speed Potion (movement boost) Heal Potion (restores health) Energy potion (boosts regeneration)

Inventory System improvements Rebuilt for stability Fixed "inventory full" bug Limited to 6 slots for better balance

Health Regeneration System Regenerates over time Depends on energy level Stops at max health

Performance Systems

Adaptive Performance System added Real-time FPS monitoring Automatic graphics and view distance adjustment

Performance Modes Performance / Balanced / Quality Each mode changes how the system reacts to performance

Hardware Awareness System CPU detection GPU detection Laptop vs Desktop detection Automatic performance mode on battery

Dynamic Grass Optimization Grass disables on low FPS Restores when performance stabilizes

Systems & Gameplay

Game Settings System Overhaul Mouse sensitivity control Y-axis inversion (backend ready) FPS limiter (30 / 60 / 90 / 120 / 165 / 244 / Unlimited) Window modes (Fullscreen / Borderless / Windowed) Unity QualitySettings integration

View Distance System Low / Medium / High / Ultra / I HAVE NO MERCY Affects terrain, grass, trees, objects, and LOD

Player interaction improvements Movement locks during interactions Controls restore correctly after exiting

Player & Mechanics

Improved integration between health, stamina, and potions Better gameplay flow and balance

Visual Improvements

Volcano smoke completely reworked Now looks more natural and less visually harsh Improved overall atmosphere and readability

UI Improvements

Settings UI connected and working in real time ESC menu handling improved (pause + cursor control) General usability improvements

Performance

Major performance improvements across the game Better stability across different hardware Reduced unnecessary updates Safer handling of missing references

Fixes

Fixed missing Heal() function Fixed interaction input not triggering correctly Fixed regeneration issues Fixed UI not disappearing after interactions Fixed interaction states getting stuck Fixed settings remaining locked after adaptive mode

Known Issues

Water does not deal damage to the player Swimming system is not working correctly Water color does not change in the corrupted island area Dialogue system is still basic Some UI elements need polish Extreme settings may impact performance on low-end systems

This update focuses on expanding systems, improving stability, and pushing the game closer to a complete playable experience.

More updates coming soon.