A Detailed Overview of the Changes in the Latest Release

fableborne

4 min readOct 25, 2023

Dive in to understand how the changes in our newest build impact your strategy and gameplay!

ISSUES OF THE PREVIOUS GAME BUILD WE WANTED TO TACKLE

The previous building processes had room for improvement, as they were a bit complex and less engaging due to obstacles.
Heroes were too powerful in the beginning and too weak at the end.
Kiting allowed players to pick off monsters one by one. If the power of base buildings increased, kiting would become the dominant strategy.
The map layout was complicated. The islands were too large, and the obstacles were confusing. Some were walkable, others blocked projectiles, while others let projectiles pass through.
Upgraded islands were overly large.
The purpose and playstyle for each hero was unclear.

FEATURES IN THE NEW BUILD THAT ADDRESS ISSUES IN THE PREVIOUS VERSION:

Intention: To create clearer, more enjoyable gameplay where every content piece has a clear role and purpose.

HEROES

Each hero now has a distinct specialization.
Successful attacks now briefly halt monsters.
Heroes have different weights, affecting how they’re pushed back by the Tremor Tower.
Players can upgrade heroes twice per island level (except the short first level).
Heroes can now reach level 40.
More rare and legendary talents are now available.
Talents provide a more noticeable boost in power.

KIARA: A crowd control and AoE damage dealer. Effective against large groups of monsters but not against buildings.

Basic attacks have now been changed to AoE cones that damage everything within their range. This eliminates the damage burst in melee range against individual targets and firmly positions this hero as a specialist — particularly effective against crowds.
Building damage reduced.
The second active ability no longer damages but can freeze enemies for an extended period.
New talents allow players to boost movement speed.

AVI: A single-target damage hero. Best used against solo, high-priority targets. His crowd-control potential is mostly tied to his active abilities.

Attacks are now faster. Players no longer need to rapidly press the button while moving to gain a significant DPS boost. This faster shooting speed has been officially integrated into the gameplay, and we’ve removed the possibility of using the previous exploit.
Adrenalin Rush: In a significant shift for game balance, Adrenalin Rush now transforms Avi into a stationary turret. This means he can’t move while shooting, which marks a considerable change to his versatility. Players need to be strategic about when and where they deploy this powerful ability.
Building damage reduced.

Leon: Specializes in destroying buildings.

His primary attack has a smaller radius, making him less effective against groups.
Significantly increased damage against buildings.
He’s the heaviest hero, so the Tremor Tower affects him less.
Onslaught Charges: One of Leon’s changes is his new talents associated with the Onslaught ability. Players can now increase the Onslaught move count, introducing a charges mechanic to the game. This allows for multiple uses of the ability before hitting a cooldown, opening up fresh tactical opportunities.

Nix: A new lightweight melee hero. She offers crowd control with single-target damage. As with all agile characters, she’s challenging but rewarding to master.

We made numerous minor adjustments to talents and attributes.

KNOWN ISSUES

It might be possible to create an overpowered, unstoppable hero. Players are encouraged to experiment and share their findings.

BUILDINGS AND MONSTERS

Introducing the alarm system: attacking a monster or building will draw reinforcements, making one-on-one fights challenging.
Upgrades at each step are more pronounced.

Clearer distinctions and specializations:

Lizards now move in larger groups.
Bats can now freeze the hero with their bite.
Golems have become tougher and can chase players faster after accelerating.
The explosive bug has been removed. It’s currently deemed unfit for the game but might return alongside traps in the future.

TWO NEW MONSTERS: HEALER AND SNIPER

The Healer is strictly a support unit with several unique mechanics. Raiders should prioritize taking it out.

The Sniper is a top-tier threat, especially deadly at mid-range and adept at hit-and-run tactics.

All buildings and monsters can be upgraded to level 20.

Known issues:

As with heroes, it might be possible to create an impregnable base. If you think so please share your base build with us.
Golems have excessive HP. While they’re balanced when combined with other threats, one-on-one encounters can be tedious. Adjustments are in consideration for future updates.
New players might struggle against the Frost Tower and Healer. A tip: heroes can be upgraded significantly higher than before, so don’t neglect HP upgrades.

ISLAND

All obstacles have been removed.
Players now start with a smaller island.
Islands gain a plot with every upgrade, each having space for a gold mine (discussed further below).
Level 4 is the final stage for island progression; after that, only content unlocks.
Players can reset their island for 100 gold to get a new one of the same level if unsatisfied with the layout.