This update is a bit smaller than I would've liked story-wise, but hopefully the improvements to the overall experience make up for it.

REVAMPED SIMULATOR: "THE GAUNTLET"

The original VR simulator location was a bit of an afterthought, since I realized that there were no places to grind thanks to a lack of random encounters. I'm still hesitant to add random encounters at this point in time (it would require a lot of new enemy designs to make it not feel repetitive), but this should be a good compromise to get more mileage out of the turn-based RPG mechanics.

THE GAUNTLET

Instead of rematching specific fights, entering The Gauntlet now puts you in a boss rush against familiar faces you've encountered during the story. These fights are tougher than their story versions, so be prepared.

In order to help the player confront these intimidating opponents, allow me to introduce:

NEW NPC

^Meet Cassola, a new shopkeeper that can be encountered in the revamped VR simulator. She's a snarky AI assistant that will sell you Crowd Favors.

The Crowd Favor system was introduced with Iron First Chapter 2, but it was heavily underutilized at the time, only being used by certain boss fights as a kind of modifier.

In the new update, you will be able to purchase Crowd Favors as a type of equipment, opening up new build possibilities. Additionally, while fighting in the Gauntlet's boss rush you will find Cassola in-between boss fights, and you can rent Crowd Favors to spice up your run.

You can also choose to rob her, but you might find it's more than you bargained for...

Thank you for playing, I hope you continue to enjoy CHI Project!