Changes: GemCraft Lost Chapter: Frostborn Wrath

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"The epic tower defense dark fantasy journey continues!"

— Steam page

GemCraft Lost Chapter: Frostborn Wrath (also known as GemCraft - Frostborn Wrath on Steam) is the fifth installment in the GemCraft series developed and published by Game in a Bottle. The game was released on Steam for Microsoft Windows systems in January 10, 2020.^[1]

Overview

Frostborn Wrath is the first game in the series to be developed for Microsoft Windows only and published on Steam exclusively, due to the previous games' platform, Adobe Flash, being deprecated and web browsers disabling the feature by default. As such, the game supports Full HD resolution, with all art assets made specifically for the higher resolution.

Many elements from Chasing Shadows return, such as skills, Talisman system, battle traits, strike spells, and Endurance Mode.

Changes

Gameplay Changes

Larger fields, with artworks all made at Full HD resolution
Game runs 3x as fast by default
Linked waves (two waves summoned at the same time).
One click gem creation, pre-adjustable gem creation grade, upgrade gems in the inventory with the mouse wheel too.
Enraging gem slot (can be used to enrage all waves).
Endurance Mode is available beginning from Wave 1 (as a separate battle mode)
New Trial mode is available as a separate game mode for most fields (inspired by Vision fields from the previous installment).
Different map layout for each battle mode ^[2].

Gem Colors

The number of available gem colors are decreased from 9 to 6.
The Cyan gems (Healing Suppression), Chain-Hit gems (red in GemCraft Chapter2), the White gems (Poolbound), and the Black Gems (Bloodbound) have been removed. However...
The White gems' effect (Poolbound) and the Black gems' (Bloodbound) effect now applies to all gems by default.
Red Gems now cause bleeding: targets suffer more damage from all sources for a period of time.

Battle Traits

The game features 15 Battle Traits. Some are returning from Chasing Shadows, some are new. All traits can be raised to level 12.

Structures

New buildable structures are introduced:
- Lanterns: hits multiple enemies, but has fixed range and attacks 20% as fast as towers and deal 50% less damage.
- Pylons: fires high damage shots that ignores armor and hits three times to the next enemy or the same enemy until it dies. They must be charged with tower shots, and their shots deals the highest damage a gem deals to it. Charges generated by tower shots provide diminishing charges based on damage dealt and amount of shots stored.
A new set of hostile structures are also introduced as well:
- Watchtowers which shoots almost everything including friendly buildings and can only be destroyed by bolt shots.
- Snowy Pit: regularly spawns white swarmlings that resist half the duration of freeze and whiteout strike spells.
Shrines now charge independently, do not cost gems to activate, and function as a combination of shrines from GCL. may fire in up to 8 directions away from shrine. gathers energy from all gems on the field, ignores armor, stuns for 3-5 seconds, and shreds a portion of monsters' health. Any monsters surviving the hit will be stunned briefly. The number of health-shredding hits depends on the number of gems on the field
A new destructible structure, Jar of Wasps which contains gem wasps extracted from grade # {component type} gem. Can be destroyed with tower shots by select target or set structure priority.
A new secret beacon, the Omnibeacon, combining the effects of shield, cleansing, healing, and haste beacon into one.

Talisman

The talisman in this release is designed as a 5x5 uniform jigsaw puzzle, where fragments are the pieces. For the purposes of this guide, rows will be lettered from top to bottom: a, b, c, d and e. Columns will be numbered from left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Sockets will be named by their row, followed by their column. For example, the top left corner socket is (a1). Equip fragments into your talisman to receive their stated bonus stats. Upgrade fragments with shadow cores to increase their stats.

Players begin with five (starter) talisman sockets, forming a + sign in the middle of the talisman’s 5x5 matrix (sockets b3, c2, c3, c4 and d3). Talisman fragments, found in battle, are shaped like rectangular puzzle pieces and colored based on their rarity. On each edge* (at the top, bottom, left or right side of a fragment), talisman fragments feature either a male or female link. To equip a fragment a player has found in battle, they must open the talisman panel from the world map view, then drag the fragment from their inventory at the right side of the panel to an unlocked talisman socket in the matrix on the left side of the panel. When arranging fragments in their talisman, players must fit adjacent fragments together, male with female, or one piece will be rejected and returned to the player’s inventory.
*”Edge“ and “corner” fragments have one or two straight sides which may only be placed on the outer edge sockets of the talisman matrix. For example, a piece with straight top and left edges is called a top-left corner fragment, and may only be placed in the uppermost row and leftmost column (socket a1) of the talisman matrix. A piece with a flat top and links on three sides is called a top edge fragment, and may be socketed in any of the three middle columns of the top row (sockets a2, a3, or a4).

Locked sockets adjacent to starter (+) or previously unlocked sockets may be unlocked by the player for a one-time shadow core cost. The cost to unlock each slot is determined by where in the matrix it lies. Center slots around the starting + sign are the cheapest to unlock, costing between 200 and 500 shadow cores each. Edge sockets cost between 1,000 and 7,800 shadow cores to unlock. Corner sockets cost between 9,000 and 12,000 shadow cores each.
Players may alter the shapes of their fragments (under several restrictions) for a shadow core cost. The cost is calculated based on the rarity of the fragment. [This topic is under construction.]
As in the previous release, higher rarity talisman fragments have more levels to which they can be upgraded (at ever higher shadow core costs per level). Upgrades result in more and higher battle bonuses.

{Secret} Some dropped talisman fragments will have one of five runic symbols on each corner. Players may arrange three or more different runes in the same column of yo talisman to light that column (shown by small lights which switch from black to white at the top and bottom of the column). White lights indicate that a rune bonus is active. [This topic is under construction.]

Monsters

Monsters no longer regain health gradually.
New flying ones / special enemies are introduced:
- Wraiths, providing 15% damage reduction to all enemies per Wraith, stacking up to 90%
- Wizard Hunters, unbanishable monster destroying random structures as they walk towards the orb.
- Swarm Queen, moves slowly on a specific square path and periodically lays monster eggs which spawn swarmlings as the battle marches on.^[3]. When the Swarm Queen is killed, she spawns 60-80 swarmlings.
  - Monster eggs may also appear on some fields.
- Wallbreaker, slowly inches towards orb along path. destroys any structure in its way, including your towers built on his path, allowing it to take the shortest path to the orb no matter what. Cannot be banished. Only appears on specific fields and specific waves.

Gem Wasps

Gem Wasps now follow the mouse pointer, but it must be close to them for them to actually obey. They also have a much higher base lifetime.

Skills

Strike spells Curse and Wake of Eternity are replaced with Whiteout and Ice Shards, respectively.
2nd ability for each skill increases every 5 levels instead of 3.
Orblets are now a skill-based feature, under "Orb of Presence", instead of a Battle Trait. Increasing this skill increases the number of orblets docked around the Orb of Presence at the start of each level.
- Losing orblets also don't incur the 10% mana gain penalty (except on some trial fields which has them).
Wizard Stashes, replaces Tome Chambers, contains traits, skill tomes, talisman fragments, and shadow cores. They can be opened by shooting them down, but must be done before end of journey or trial waves, or before orb of presence is destroyed in endurance mode.
Gem component skills do not let you take otherwise forbidden types into fields not yet beaten on journey mode once. They do let you take corresponding components into fields for replay or endurance mode and are indicated by smaller images under "Available Gems".

Other / Uncategorized Changes

Certain field-specific soundtrack music from CS applies differently to FW; now, "Vision Field" applies to every journey level for fields that unlock new map segments when won. "Gembearer" music applies to trial and endurance versions of fields with tokens that resemble tome chamber field tokens from CS which are now warmth spell and boss/special/journey fields.
Tome Chamber field token from CS now applies to Warmth Spell field and boss/special/journey fields.
New mod buttons along the top row in the field selection hub.
Map-specific features (warmth spell early which triples gem wasp numbers).
Journal: hover over parts of the map on the first page to reveal a pop-up of the title of the game that took place at each location.
Field unlock path seems to be slightly more linear.
Barricades: function like walls, can only be destroyed by tower shots, cannot be bombed.
Gem target priorities can now be rapid-cycled by tapping the right mouse button.
Enhancement Spells start with 7 charges by default instead of 12.
Frostruined Wizard Tower: "frozen grave of a fellow wizard"

Gems

Gems
Yellow Gem Critical Hit	Orange Gem Mana Leaching	Red Gem Bleeding
Purple Gem Armor Tearing	Green Gem Poison	Blue Gem Slowing

Skills

Skills
Mana Stream Wrath	Orb of Presence Focus	Fusion Focus	True Colors Focus	Resonance Focus	Demolition Wrath
Critical Hit Component	Mana Leech Component	Bleed Component	Armor Tearing Component	Poison Component	Slowing Component
Freeze Strike Spell	Whiteout Strike Spell	Ice Shards Strike Spell	Bolt Enhancement Spell	Beam Enhancement Spell	Barrage Enhancement Spell
Fury Wrath	Amplifiers Construction	Pylons Construction	Lanterns Construction	Traps Construction	Seeker Sense Wrath

Battle Traits

**Battle Traits**
Adaptive Carapace	Dark Masonry	Swarmling Domination	Overcrowd	Corrupted Banishment
Awakening	Insulation	Hatred	Swarming Parasites	Haste
Thick Air	Vital Link	Giant Domination	Strength in Numbers	Ritual

Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Not much is known about the story, but according to the info provided by Game in a Bottle, this installment will involve another wizard brought (or "thawed", as the developer put it) into play. The area marked as "Frozen Forever" on the world map of Chasing Shadows, is the starting point of his journey. The story begins near the end of Chasing Shadows, when the gates and the shield of Spiritforge are destroyed. After reawakening, the wizard embarks on a journey towards Spiritforge, battling monsters and demons along the way, while the darkness grows in strength.

Spoilers end here.

Development

The game's development was hinted at on December 23, 2015 in the developer's blog post.^[4] Two years later, on December 22, 2017, first screenshot of the new game was revealed. Game in a Bottle has stated that it does not plan to use paid loot boxes or other pay-to-win schemes.^[5] On August 22, 2018, the new game's title was revealed to be GemCraft lost chapter: Frostborn Wrath.^[6] On December 2, 2019, a trailer for the game was released.

Gallery

External links

References

[1] GemCraft Frostborn Wrath trailer and release date!

[2] GCFW dev update: battle modes and traits

[3] GCFW dev update: more creatures and buildings, plus achievements

[4] Season’s Greetings

[5] First screenshot of next GemCraft & Happy Holiday!

[6] GCFW: Shrines, creating gems

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 * A new secret beacon, the Omnibeacon, combining the effects of shield, cleansing, healing, and haste beacon into one.
 === Talisman ===
+[[Talisman (GC:FW)|The]] talisman in this release is designed as a 5x5 uniform jigsaw puzzle, where fragments are the pieces. For the purposes of this guide, rows will be lettered from top to bottom: a, b, c, d and e. Columns will be numbered from left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.  Sockets will be named by their row, followed by their column. For example, the top left corner socket is (a1). Equip fragments into your talisman to receive their stated bonus stats. Upgrade fragments with shadow cores to increase their stats.
-* [[Talisman (GC:FW)|Talisman]] system returns with fragments inspired by jigsaw puzzles, and a collectible fragment shape collection to transform fragment shapes to fit.
+* Players begin with five (starter) talisman sockets, forming a + sign in the middle of the talisman’s 5x5 matrix (sockets b3, c2, c3, c4 and d3). Talisman fragments, found in battle, are shaped like rectangular puzzle pieces and colored based on their rarity. On each edge* (at the top, bottom, left or right side of a fragment), talisman fragments feature either a male or female link. To equip a fragment a player has found in battle, they must open the talisman panel from the world map view, then drag the fragment from their inventory at the right side of the panel to an unlocked talisman socket in the matrix on the left side of the panel. When arranging fragments in their talisman, players must fit adjacent fragments together, male with female, or one piece will be rejected and returned to the player’s inventory.
+* *”Edge“ and “corner” fragments have one or two straight sides which may only be placed on the outer edge sockets of the talisman matrix. For example, a piece with straight top and left edges is called a top-left corner fragment, and may only be placed in the uppermost row and leftmost column (socket a1) of the talisman matrix. A piece with a flat top and links on three sides is called a top edge fragment, and may be socketed in any of the three middle columns of the top row (sockets a2, a3, or a4).
+* Locked sockets adjacent to starter (+) or previously unlocked sockets may be unlocked by the player for a one-time shadow core cost. The cost to unlock each slot is determined by where in the matrix it lies. Center slots around the starting + sign are the cheapest to unlock, costing between 200 and 500 shadow cores each. Edge sockets cost between 1,000 and 7,800 shadow cores to unlock. Corner sockets cost between 9,000 and 12,000 shadow cores each.
+* Players may alter the shapes of their fragments (under several restrictions) for a shadow core cost. The cost is calculated based on the rarity of the fragment. [This topic is under construction.]
+* As in the previous release, higher rarity talisman fragments have more levels to which they can be upgraded (at ever higher shadow core costs per level). Upgrades result in more and higher battle bonuses.
+* {Secret} Some dropped talisman fragments will have one of five runic symbols on each corner. Players may arrange three or more different runes in the same column of yo talisman to light that column (shown by small lights which switch from black to white at the top and bottom of the column). White lights indicate that a rune bonus is active. [This topic is under construction.]
 === Monsters ===
 *Monsters no longer regain health gradually.