KeeperRL Alpha 32 is released! This patch features major gameplay improvements, including an AI and combat overhaul, as well as new content additions, including adapting the Goblin Keeper faction from the Bonus Mod. Check out the patch notes below for more detailed information.

I’d like to thank everyone involved in crash testing this patch, sending bug reports and suggestions. Your help was invaluable!

As always, the update is already available on Steam, Itch.io, and Humble Store. You can also get the free version from here.

Gameplay

• Improved combat formations AI, including keeping spellcasters and healers behind the front lines.
• The type of AI can be switched between ‘melee’ and ‘ranged’ for every creature.
• The game has the concept of polymorph, with multiple new polymorph spells and abilities of various kind.
• Archer and mage classes receive the ability to have projectiles bypass allies with training.
• Spellcasting AI will try to maximize the effect of projectile and area spells.
• The speed and slowness effects apply only to movement and not other actions, ex. fighting, digging, etc.
• Guarding activity and guard zones are split into three groups, and the activity is disabled by default.
• Artifact potions with permanent effects are available as consumables in the minion menu, and minions will automatically consume them when ordered to pick them up.
• The speed and slowness effects are allowed to coexist and cancel each other out.
• The Keeper will also abuse workers, not only fighters.
• The ring of spying will get destroyed if the spy attacks anyone.
• The Keeper is allowed to copulate.
• Peacefulness prevents creatures from using hostile spells and abilities.
• Removed tech books.

Content

• Goblin faction adapted from the Bonus Mod.
• Special z-level for the Goblin faction.
• Orcs and ogres are replaced by goblins and trolls.
• Vampires are granted the ‘lord’ status when reaching their max training level.
• Added a ‘blink’ spell to vampires.
• Shaman summons have been reworked as a generic companion system, with other creatures that have companions and pieces of equipment that can grant them. Companions always respawn up to a certain limit, and their stats may depend on their owner’s stats.
• Added setting to unlock all locked content.
• Swords are swapped for clubs in bandits and rat people.
• Green dragon has a ‘poison breath’ attack.
• New red dragon lair.

Modding

• Prisoners can be converted using the Effect system, so you can add other ways of conversion other than the torture table.
• The type of AI can be defined as ‘melee’ and ‘ranged’ for every creature.
• Added a Flag requirement to immigration.
• Added the ability to add flags to chosen keepers.
• ‘InTerritory’, ‘Humanoid’, and ‘Spellcaster’ creature filters.
• ‘SpecialAttr’ effect, which adds attribute bonuses that depend on chosen filters applied to the enemy.
• Added an ‘eyeball’ property to furniture, so that new eyeball types can be modded.
• Particle effects, such as glitter can be added to custom furniture.
• Added ‘SetCreatureName’ and ‘SetViewId’ effects (see the ennoblement spell).
• Reimplemented ‘AITarget’, ‘AIDistance’ and ‘AIBelowHealth’ with a generic AI effect which uses creature predicates.
• Ranged weapon logic is removed from the game. Ranged weapons instead grant spells/abilities that shoot the missile.
• Ranged spells have a ‘maxHits’ attribute, which defines the max number of creatures that are hit by the spell.

UI

• Drag-and-dropping team members on the map in the turn-based mode causes them to receive go-to orders.
• Improved the order of sprite rendering, getting a more natural ‘3d’ look.
• Creature sprites are flipped horizontally based on their movement.
• Reworked settings and ‘load game’ menus.
• Added a message when content gets unlocked.
• Improved workshop menu, including a ‘change count’ button.
• Glyphs can be mass-applied to a stack of crafted items.
• Added a ‘choose all’ button in the pillage menu.
• Visual warning when torture is unavailable due to reached population limit.
• Added a warning when spell or ability might harm an ally.
• Question marks drawn in place of locked keeper and adventurer characters.
• Started using short versions of very long workshop item names.
• Creature description includes info on multiple heads.
• Added a steam animation to automaton engines.
• Added a ‘peacefulness’ effect animation.
• Magic missile can be invoked using the ‘f’ key.

Fixes

• Prevented the leader from running after minions outside his base to abuse them.
• Fixed a crash caused by casting a firewall or related spell on a candelabrum.
• Added rendering optimizations.
• Fixed storage warnings referencing a wrong storage type.
• Workers won’t drink all the booze that they were to haul to storage.
• Potions of booze won’t have an effect when thrown.
• Glyphs can no longer be ‘applied’ in control mode, which did nothing and used up the glyph.
• Fixed drawing bogus particle effects generated on different z-levels.
• Fixed some enemy AI not returning to their territory at night.
• The game considers peacefulness a negative effect so that AI uses it offensively.
• Sleeping creatures will wake up when attacked by fire or acid.
• Stopped Adventurer from sleeping multiple times if player keeps clicking the sleep order.
• Fixed names of intrinsic items with prefixes, ex. fangs of poison, etc.
• Shopkeeper debt is not shown if shopkeeper is dead or not nearby.
• Fixed crash caused by recruiting allies that were stunned.
• Fixed gnome traps requirements.
• Fixed save incompatibility between the Linux and Windows platforms.
• Fixed item tooltips in the pillage and trade menus.
• Prevented creature attributes from going below 0.
• Fixed crash caused by an applied item killing the creature.
• Fixed mouse click glitch involving the mini map.
• Fixed ‘RemovePermanent’ effect name.