Alpha Testing Notes

5.1.5

Build 6

Notes posted September 18, 2026

What’s New Since Build 5

The Forsaken Woods have found a few new ways to remember your choices. Tester changelog since Build 5.

Choose a road, make it count: Divided Trail routes now stay closed for the full expedition, even when the woods loop back on themselves.
Something is afoot in the charcoal smoke: meet the Charcoal Burner, chase Dawn Stone clues, and decide whether that very large chest deserves opening.
Three’s company in the wrong forest: refreshed Briar Crossing and Fallen Bridge encounters bring fuller enemy groups and clearer landmark signs.
The dice have stopped whispering: larger challenge dice, bolder results, cleaner combat panels, and room for the actual roll to do its job.
Small comforts for a long road: bonus chest celebrations, a tidier Attire Shop, calmer credits, and Field Pace now waiting at Rank II.

Choosing a path at the Divided Trail locks the unchosen route for the entire expedition, including after paths reconnect, returning to town, and saving or loading. A red warning explains the consequence first.
When resuming from town, HERE marks the last adventure location actually visited. Old Road correctly appears as NEW DESTINATION at the start of a fresh expedition.
Map highlights now stay inside their location markers rather than spilling into a rectangular surround; hover, selection, and controller focus remain clear.

The Charcoal Burner offers an optional branching conversation, repeatable questions, and a clue about the Dawn Stones. It is separate from the exit signpost, so talking does not complete the location or unlock travel.
The unusually large moving chest now asks whether to Open it or Leave before its encounter begins—and appears at three times a normal chest’s size.
Fresh Briar Crossing encounters contain three Briar Sneaks. Fresh Fallen Bridge encounters contain three Woodland Raiders, replacing the Raider-and-Sneak pairing.
The Fallen Bridge sign now gives WATCHTOWER and SEALED ROAD their own lines.

Bonus items from ordinary noncombat chests receive a brief BONUS ITEM! celebration and sound—only when first awarded, never again from reopening a screen or loading a save.
Gold-change notices now expire correctly and clear when navigating or opening other screens.
The Broken Wagon remains visible after its challenge resolves, but its interaction is disabled. Challenge dice are twice as large and stay beside the result until you continue, including after restoring a saved result.
SUCCESS and FAILURE stay centered independently of the settled die. Challenge calculations now use combat’s red result styling and place clearer weight on the final total.

Selected ally and enemy information panels remain dark and readable through hover, press, and focus changes, including scripted prologue combat.
Status-effect icons are twice their previous size, defeated-character markers sit correctly against the ground, and decorative side numerals have been removed from dice so the actual roll is easier to read.

Field Pace now unlocks at Company Rank II, granting 20% faster exploration movement. Rank I no longer grants it; Rank II and higher retain it, and the Rank II notice names the reward.
Existing Companies receive the appropriate movement benefit based on current Reputation.
The Attire Shop lists the four active heroes first, in party order, followed by remaining unlocked Company members. Refreshing or reopening reflects active-party changes; purchasing attire still leaves equipping it as a separate choice.

Removed the redundant Manage Campaigns entry from Game settings; primary Campaigns navigation remains available.
Credits wait three seconds, then begin a slower automatic scroll. Mouse-wheel scrolling is smoother, touch scrolling has inertia, manual scrolling pauses the automatic movement for five seconds, dragging keeps it paused, and credits stop cleanly at the end.

No campaign reset or save wipe is required. Existing challenge results, chest rewards, Company Reputation, and campaign progress are preserved.
Saved two-enemy encounters at Briar Crossing and Fallen Bridge retain their original enemies and pending combat state; newly started encounters use the updated three-enemy groups.
Updated route exclusions remain effective after paths reconnect and after loading. Existing Rank I Companies return to normal exploration speed; Rank II and higher receive Field Pace.

Expanded regression coverage for routes, dialogue, encounters, rewards, attire, campaigns, and save recovery.
Completed Windows rules checks, Unity compilation, and applicable Unity verification suites.
Reviewed tablet, widescreen, ultrawide, and phone-shaped layouts; verified artwork references and asset integrity while preserving existing source artwork.

Master Plus balance remains provisional.
Intro video playback, color, and audio remain areas for device testing.
Physical iPad/iPhone and controller acceptance, along with Build 6 TestFlight availability, require separate confirmation through the Apple release workflow.