It’s always exciting when a game you’ve been looking forward to receives its first substantial update, isn’t it? Obsidian has just rolled out Patch 1.2.2 for its new RPG, Avowed, and it comes with a hefty download size of 66GB. This update is packed with improvements, bug fixes, and community-requested changes that aim to enhance gameplay. Let’s take a closer look at what this patch brings!
This patch marks significant progress in addressing player feedback. One standout feature is the revamping of companion mechanics, reviving companions during combat now restores them to 75% of their maximum health rather than just 50%. Plus, companions will start with increased health at the beginning of your adventures together. These adjustments should make your time spent battling alongside these characters feel less precarious.
The stability improvements are also noteworthy; players can expect fewer crashes, particularly when using Corrosive Siphon on destructible objects. We all know how frustrating it can be when a game unexpectedly drops you back to your desktop mid-fight! The developers have also optimized visual effects while the game is paused via radial menus, which should help prevent those rare crashes that sometimes pop up.
The technical updates don’t stop there! Frame rates have been boosted when displaying damage numbers for multiple enemies, a welcome change for those intense encounters where every millisecond counts. Companion animations post-combat have been improved too, adding some polish to those moments of victory.
Avowed Patch 1.2.2 Release Notes
Making Crafting and Upgrade System more Approachable
- Updates to Equipment Tier difference feedback and penalties/bonuses:
- Changed Tier penalty system from a hard tier to tier system and made it dynamic based on players equipment and the tier (and sub-tier) of the enemy. Tier difference rules now only apply when there is a +/- 4 level gap.
- Tier II enemies will now play a small reaction animation when struck by lower-tier weapons, instead of not reacting at all.
- Reduced damage reduction when player weapons are closer in tier to an enemy.
- Significantly decreased how often companions comment about player needing better armor and/or weapons.
- Upgrade materials can no longer be sold to merchants to inadvertently make upgrading difficult. We have a longer-term fix involving buying back from merchants in the works.
Missing NPCs
- In specific situations, some NPCs weren’t where they should be. Saving the game, and re-loading will put them back where they should be. We will have a fix soon that fixes the situation completely and doesn’t require a save and load.
Quest & Exploration Fixes
- The brambles in the Delemgan Glade will now vanish when the Adragan Heart is acquired, preventing players from getting stuck inside.
- Grysca (the apothecary) now correctly speaks with the player to advance An Untimely End, even if they previously encountered a bug with Thalla the Ogre spawning twice.
- Added a system to respawn key characters when loading a save if they were previously missing and blocking quest progression (including Ambassador Hylgard and The Watcher Runyd).
Companion & NPC Improvements
- Reviving companions in combat now restores them to 75% of their maximum health instead of 50%.
- Starting health of companions has been increased to help with their viability in combat.
Merchants & Economy
- Merchants at the Dawnshore docks now offer ‘Fine’ gear in addition to ‘Common’ gear.
- Removed chance to crash when casting Corrosive Siphon on destructible objects.
- Optimized resource handling of VFX while the game is paused via radial menus to prevent rare leaks and crashes.
- Fixed invisible collision blocking the player in Strangleroot.
- Prevented players from charging into unintended areas in Strangleroot, avoiding quest progression issues.
- Enemies now navigate the bridges of the lava tubes more consistently.
- First Contact with the Enemy quest now progresses correctly if all badges are collected before speaking to Nauki.
- Players can now complete Steel Resolve after the main quest in Emerald Stair if they had completed enough objectives beforehand.
- Kowha now responds correctly if the player returns to them after starting One Last Drink.
- Dialog with Giatta upon leaving Naku Tedek now triggers consistently when loading saves before the conversation.
- Updated Mapping the Living Lands quest conditions to allow starting from future regions before talking to the quest giver in Dawnshore.
- Updated A Lady Never Tells quest flow so it correctly completes in the quest log when starting via the courtesan, getting the shipment, then speaking to Giuliana.
- Governor Ignasi’s option to turn in the spy can now only be triggered once instead of being repeatable.
- Conversations with leaders in the final area no longer end prematurely when choosing the Let me reconsider option.
- Made an additional ending option for the leadership conclave available to players who initially backed out but wish to reconsider.
- Adjusted environment art near the Trantons bounty in Emerald Stair to prevent bounty loot from becoming unobtainable.
- Previously missing voice-over lines in ambient content now play correctly.
- Seeds of Vengeance summons now scale correctly with health and damage.
- One-handed weapon Parry enchantments now function as intended.
- Party buffs from the player now correctly target companions only, instead of summoned creatures.
- Kai no longer gets stuck if using Unbending Defense while mid-air with Leap of Daring.
- Improved frame rate when rendering damage numbers on multiple enemies at once.
- Improved item randomization when restocking shops.
- Blast ability for wands now plays the correct visual and sound effects.
- Improved logic for animations on companions at the end of combat.
- Improved transitions on the top of Mt. Forja.
- Fixed interaction inconsistencies with objects and NPCs obscured by other characters.
- Controllers no longer rumble when loading a save before the final boss fight.
- Fixed issues with pond coin interactions.
- Added error codes for save game failures.
- Improved where characters are looking during certain conversations.
- Cutscene in Naku Kebel now properly plays sound effects.
- Eating food from the radial menu now provides audio feedback.
- Increased volume of Woedica’s voiceover audio.
- Player voice now plays more consistently for abilities with vocal components.
- Improved transitions between music intensity levels when exploring.
- Music during the end slides now plays at the intended volume.
- Updated Banner Dwarf’s outfit LODs to reduce clipping during animation.
- Captain Ngunu’s neck is now properly merged with his head.
- Steel Garrote Soldiers have re-grown their missing hands.
- Improved shadow quality on Xbox Series X Performance Mode.
- Cloud transfer prompt is now properly centered on ultrawide displays.
- Xbox cloud transfer dialog buttons no longer shake rapidly when hovering over the bottom part of the button.
- Initial splash screens now properly support Chinese characters.
- Interaction prompts pop up more reliably.
- Opening a radial menu after leaving and returning to the game no longer triggers the pause menu.
- Removed unintended English characters in the One Last Drink quest journal for non-English languages.
- Cloud save UI now defaults to selecting the recommended option.
This patch shows that Obsidian pays attention to functionality and aims for smoother gameplay experiences, which we could all appreciate after long gaming sessions filled with unexpected interruptions! As early access continues shaping Your Journey Through Eora!, it’s delightful seeing how attentive developers respond post-launch amid player discussions on platforms like Reddit or Twitter regarding bugs or desired features.
