Die Trying - Extremely Important Author's Patch notes to the System 1.01

Before reading the next chapter of Die Trying (which will be posted up sometime after this announcement, once final edits are done) - there's some sweeping changes I'm implementing.

I'm doing a rewrite of the System (Slightly-ish) for the eventual swap between rough draft version to the KU polished up final version of this story.

The changes are there to add more fun, unlockable and predictable progression to it. The edits are not live because it all has to get swapped in one giant blob all at once. So for the past few weeks I've been slowly editing on a word doc book 1 and so forth.

But the longer I keep writing current chapters with the old version of the System, the more work I'll have to do to re-edit everything here as I get to it. So I need to start somewhere, I figured the end of round 3 is a good spot.

Thus: Please calmly look deeply into this image and pretend all the below changes have already been implemented.

1. The storefront started completely barren and all the purchase options it offers are something Wade personally unlocks bit by bit during a round by completing quests. (Usually offered in 'pick one of two options to add to the storefront' rewards.)
Wade's been the one building up the storefront choice after choice.

The storefront's starter gear shop unlock now offered a few different basic 'Adventure bundles.' In which he bought the "Mage" bundle for those mana potions and mithril anchors, and then he got the "Healer" bundle for the healing ring and a handful of healing potions. (Which aren't useful to healing internal injuries, that part is still the same as before)

Wade later gained a single-use commission request option from a copper lootbox, which he used to get his smartphone back and at system quality.

(The 'make any request you want' always felt a little off to me, and in hindsight, it should have been a lootbox reward option.)

2. The system offers a lot more mini quests and organizes it between persistent quests and fleeting quests (With a mysterious 'System Bought Quest' being the third category) - and also actually mentions there's leveling experience offered for completing them.

System starts by offering him "Insignificant leveling experience" which is bait to get the Nathir players to not even bother with quests, but Wade discovers it's 25% of a level at level 1.

So not so insignificant.

By level 5, it has lowered to 5%, but a later (new) copper lootbox he gets in book 1's run gives him an upgrade that allows the System to now award 'Negligible' leveling experience that's the next bump upwards. He's been on the search for the next quest experience upgrade ever since.

3. Challenge Gauntlets trigger automatically on any level 50 or above.

It also had a full on multi-part questline to upgrade the gaunlet quests after Wade completed the first one.

3a. First quest in the chain required 3 more wins, and granted a +10% health restoration on winning all gauntlets in the future.

3b. The following quest was also for 3 more kills and rewarded a storefront unlock for a new modifier: 'Augmented Hunter: For the next five challenge gauntlets, gain +1 random stat increase on full completion of each gauntlet.' - and it also came with a free application of it for this round. (Five per purchase because as I examined the mid game and late game, when level 50+ enemies would be more common, this would lead to the 'stats no longer matter' issue. There is some additional balance to this, and next chapter will reveal that, though it's very direct and blunt.)

3c. The third questline offered him two possible paths, one required 3 more kills and would have him gain 25% health back on winning a gauntlet now, and the second choice required six wins instead but would now unlock a storefront option that lets him buy a single-use trophy-collection knife. (When used on the body of a dead challenge gaunlet mob, will cut off a permanent trophy part that offers round modifiers, and Wade can bring one per round.)

Wade and Play decided to go down that route since System modifiers is potentially game changing.

Might be more small changes again in the future as I fine tune the story with feedback from everyone here as it goes from rough draft to something I can send to an audiobook narrator and feel like it's final!

(Good luck to the audiobook narrator when it comes to the emoji spam from Play though)